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SKETCHES    FROM    MY    LIFE 


SKETCHES 


FROM    MY    LIFE 


BY   TUE   LATE 

ADMIRAL  HOBART   PASHA 


WITH  A  PORTRAIT 


NEW     YORK 
D.   APPLETON  AND   COMPANY 

1887 


CT 


PEE FACE. 


These  pages  were  the  last  ever  written  by  tlie 
brave  and  true-hearted  sailor  of  whose  life  they  are 
a  simple  record. 

A  few  months  before  his  death,  some  of  his 
friends  made  the  fortunate  suggestion  that  he 
should  put  on  paper  a  detailed  account  of  his  sport- 
ing adventures,  and  this  idea  gradually  developed 
itself  until  the  work  took  the  present  form  of  an 
autobiography,  written  roughly,  it  is  true,  and  put 
together  without  much  method,  part  of  it  being 
dictated  at  the  Riviera  during  the  last  days  of  the 
author's  fatal  illness.     Such  as  it  is,  however,  we  are 


vi  PREFACE 

convinced  that  the  many  devoted  friends  of  Hobart 
Pasha  who  now  lament  his  death  will  be  glad  to 
recall  in  these  '  Sketches '  the  adventures  and  sports 
which  some  of  them  shared  with  him,  and  the  genial 
disposition  and  manly  qualities  which  endeared  him 
to  them  all. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAOE 

I.  A  EOUGH   STABT   IN   LIFE    ....  I 

II.  PERILS   BY   SEA  AND   LAND     .           .           .      .  14 

III.  A   TRAGICAL   AFFAIB 27 

IV.  RIO   DE   JANEIRO 36 

V.  SLAVER  HUNTING 43 

VI.  SLAVER   HUNTING  {contillUCd)            ...  53 

VII.  LOVE   AND   MURDER 62 

VIII.  THE    queen's   yacht 71 

IX.  IN   THE   BALTIC 78 

X.  BLOCKADE-RUNNING 87 

XI.  EXCITING  ADVENTURES        .  .  .  .103 

XII.  A   VISIT   TO    CHARLESTON         .            .            .       .  120 

XIII.  NEVER   CAUGHT  ! 133 

XIV.  LAST   DAYS    ON    THE    *  D  — N  '              ,            .      .  147 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAOH 

XV.  EICHMOND  DURING  THE   SIEGE  .           .           .159 

XVI.      THE   LAND  BLOCKADE 175 

XVII.  I   ENTEE   THE   TUEKISH   NAVY     .           .           .186 

XVIII.  THE   WAR  WITH  RUSSIA           .           .           .      .      201 

XIX.  THE   TUEKISH   FLEET   DUEING   THE   WAE     .      217 

XX.      SrOET   IN   TUEKEY 235 

XXI.      SPOET  AND   SOCIETY 253 


EXTEACT   FEOM   THE    '  DAILY   TELEGEAPH  '        277 


SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE. 

CHAPTER  I. 

A  ROUGH   START  IN   LIFE. 

To  ATTEMPT  to  wi'ite  and  publish  sketches  of  my 
somewhat  eventful  career  is  an  act  that,  I  fear,  en- 
tails the  risk  of  making  enemies  of  some  with  whom 
I  liave  come  in  contact.  But  I  have  arrived  at  that 
time  of  life  when,  while  respecting,  as  I  do,  public 
opinion,  I  have  hardened  somewhat  into  indifference 
of  censure.  I  will,  however,  endeavour  to  write  as 
far  as  lies  in  my  power  (while  recording  facts)  '  in 
charity  with  all  men.'  This  can  be  done  in  most 
part  by  omitting  the  names  of  ships  in  which  and 
officers  under  whom  I  have  served. 

I  was  born,  as  the  novelists  say,  of  respectable 
parents,  at  Walton-on-the-Wold,  in  Leicestershire, 
on  April  1,  1822.     I  will  pass  over  my  early  youth, 


2  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

whicli  was,  as  might  be  expected,  from  the  time  of 
my  bh'tli  until  I  was  ten  years  of  age,  without  any 
event  that  could  prove  interesting  to  those  who  are 
kind  enough  to  peruse  these  pages. 

At  the  age  of  ten  I  was  sent  to  a  welj-known 
school  at  Cheam,  in  Surrey,  the  master  of  which, 
Dr.  Mayo,  has  turned  out  some  very  distinguished 
pupils,  of  whom  I  was  not  fated  to  be  one ;  for,  after 
a  year  or  so  of  futile  attempt  on  my  part  to  learn 
something,  and  give  promise  that  I  might  aspii'e  to 
the  Avoolsack  or  the  premiership,  I  was  pronounced 
hopeless ;  and  having  declared  myself  anxious  to 
emulate  the  deeds  of  Nelson,  and  other  celebrated 
sailors,  it  was  decided  that  I  should  enter  the 
navy,  and  steps  were  taken  to  send  me  at  once 
to  sea. 

A  young  cousin  of  mine  who  had  been  advanced 
to  the  rank  of  captain,  more  through  the  influence 
of  his  high  connections  than  from  any  merit  of  his 
own,  condescended  to  give  me  a  nomination  in  a 
ship  which  he  had  just  commissioned,  and  thus  I 
was  launched  like  a  young  bear,  '  having  all  his 
sorrows  to  come,'  into  Her  Majesty's  navy  as  a  naval 
cadet.  I  shall  never  forget  the  pride  with  which  1 
donned  my  first  uniform,  little  thinking  what  I 
should  have  to  go  through.      My  only  consolation 


A   ROUGH  START  IN  LIFE  3 

while  recounting  facts  that  will  make  many  parents 
shudder  at  the  thought  of  what  their  children  (for 
they  are  little  more  when  they  join  the  service) 
were  liable  to  suffer,  is,  that  things  are  now  totally 
altered,  and  that  under  the  present  regime  every 
officer,  whatever  his  rank,  is  treated  like  a  gentle- 
man, or  he,  or  his  friends,  can  know  '  the  reason 
why.' 

I  am  writing  of  a  period  some  fifteen  or  twenty 
years  after  Marryat  had  astonished  the  world  by  his 
thrilling  descriptions  of  a  naval  officer's  life  and  its 
accompanying  troubles.  At  the  time  of  which  I  write 
people  flattered  themselves  that  the  sufferings  which 
'  Midshipman  Easy '  and  '  The  Naval  Officer  '  under- 
went while  serving  the  Crown  were  tales  of  the  past. 
I  will  show  by  what  I  am  about  very  briefly  to  relate 
that  such  was  very  far  from  being  the  case. 

Everything  being  prepared,  and  good-bye  being 
said  to  my  friends,  ^vho  seemed  rather  glad  to  be  rid 
of  me,  I  was  allowed  to  travel  from  London  on  the 
box  of  a  carriage  which  contained  the  great  man  who 
had  given  me  the  nomination  (captains  of  men-of-war 
I  were  very  great  men  in  those  days),  and  after  a  long 
weary  journey  we  arrived  at  the  port  where  H.M.S. 

was  lying  ready  for  sea.     On  the  same  night 

of    our    arrival    the    sailing    orers    came    from    the 


4  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

Admiralty ;  we  were  to  go  to  sea  tlie  next  day,  our 
destination  being  South  America. 

Being  a  very  insignificant  individual,  I  was  put 
into  a  waterman's  boat  with  my  chest  and  bed,  and 
was  sent  on  board.  On  reporting  myself,  I  was  told 
by  the  commanding  officer  not  to  bother  him,  but  to 
go  to  my  mess,  where  I  should  be  taken  care  of.  On 
descending  a  ladder  to  the  lower  deck,  I  looked  about 
for  the  mess,  or  midshipmen's  berth,  as  it  was  then 
called.  In  one  corner  of  this  deck  was  a  dirty  little 
hole  about  ten  feet  long  and  six  feet  wide,  five  feet 
high.  It  was  lighted  by  two  or  three  dips,  otherwise 
tallow  candles,  of  the  commonest  description — behold 
the  mess ! 

In  this  were  seated  six  or  seven  officers  and 
gentlemen,  some  twenty-five  to  thirty  years  of  age, 
called  mates,  meaning  what  are  now  called  sub-lieu- 
tenants. They  were  drinking  rum  and  water  and 
eating  mouldy  biscuits ;  all  were  in  their  shirtsleeves, 
and  really,  considering  the  circumstances,  seemed  to  be 
enjoying  themselves  exceedingly. 

On  my  appearance  it  was  evident  that  I  was 
looked  upon  as  an  interloper,  for  whom,  small  as  I 
was,  room  must  be  found.  I  was  received  with  a 
chorus  of  exclamations,  such  as,  *  What  the  deuce 
does  the  little  fellow  want  here?'  'Surely  there  are 


A   ROUGH  START  IN  LIFE  5 

enougli  of  us  crammed  into  this  beastly  little  hole  ! ' 
*  Oil,  I  suppose  he  is  some  protege  of  the  captain's,' 
&c.  &c. 

At  last  one,  more  kindly  disposed  than  the  rest, 
addressed  me  :  '  Sorry  there  is  no  more  room  in  here, 
youngster ; '  and  calling  a  dirty-looking  fellow,  also 
in  his  shirtsleeves,  said,  '  Steward,  give  this  young 
gentleman  some  tea  and  bread  and  butter,  and  get 
hira  a  hammock  to  sleep  in.'  So  I  had  to  be  con- 
tented to  sit  on  a  chest  outside  the  midshipmen's 
berth,  eat  my  tea  and  bread  and  butter,  and  turn 
into  a  hammock  for  the  first  time  in  my  life,  which 
means  '  turned  out ' — the  usual  procedure  being  to 
tumble  out  several  times  before  getting  accustomed 
to  this,  to  me,  novel  bedstead.  However,  once  accus- 
tomed to  the  thing,  it  is  easy  enough,  and  many 
indeed  have  been  the  comfortable  nights  I  have  slept 
in  a  hammock,  such  a  sleep  as  many  an  occupant  of 
a  luxurious  four-poster  might  envy.  At  early  dawn  a 
noise  all  around  me  disturbed  my  slumbers :  this  was 
caused  by  all  hands — officers  and  men — being  called 
up  to  receive  the  captain,  who  was  coming  along- 
side to  assume  his  command  by  reading  his  official 
appointment. 

I  shall  never  forget  his  first  words.  He  was  a 
handsome  young  man,  with  fine  features,  darkened, 


6  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

however,  by  a  deep  scowl.  As  he  stepped  over  the 
side  he  greeted  us  by  saying  to  the  first  lieutenant  in 
a  loud  voice,  '  Put  all  my  boat's  crew  in  irons  for 
neglect  of  duty.'  It  seems  that  one  of  them  kept 
him  waiting  for  a  couple  of  minutes  when  he  came 
down  to  embark.  After  giving  this  order  our  captain 
honoured  the  officers  who  received  him  with  a  haughty 
bow,  read  aloud  his  commission,  and  retired  to  his 
cabin,  having  ordered  the  anchor  to  be  weighed  in 
two  hours. 

Accordingly  at  eight  o'clock  we  stood  out  to  sea, 
the  weather  being  fine  and  wind  favourable.  At 
eleven  all  hands  were  called  to  attend  the  punish- 
ment of  the  captain's  boat's  crew.  I  cannot  de- 
scribe the  horror  with  which  I  witnessed  six  fine 
sailor-like  looking  fellows  torn  by  the  frightful  cat, 
for  having  kept  this  officer  waiting  a  few  minutes 
on  the  pier.  Nor  will  I  dwell  on  this  illegal  sicken- 
ing proceeding,  as  I  do  not  write  to  create  a  sen- 
sation, and,  thank  goodness !  such  things  cannot  be 
done  now. 

I  had  not  much  time  for  reflection,  for  my  turn 
came  next.  I  believe  I  cried  or  got  into  somebody's 
way,  or  did  something  to  vex  the  t}Tant ;  all  I  know 
is  that  I  heard  myself  addressed  as  '  You  young 
scoundrel,'   and   ordered  to  go  to  the  *  mast-head.' 


A   ROUGH  START  IN  LIFE  7 

Go  to  the  mast-head  indeed  !  with  a  freshening  wind, 
under  whose  influence  the  ship  was  beginning  to  heel 
over,  and  an  increasing  sea  that  made  her  jump  about 
like  an  acrobat.  I  had  not  got  my  sea  legs,  and  tliis 
feat  seemed  an  utter  impossibility  to  me.  I  looked 
with  horror  up  aloft ;  then  came  over  me  the  remem- 
brance of  Marryat's  story  of  the  lad  who  refused  to 
go  to  the  mast-head,  and  who  was  hoisted  up  by 
the  signal  halyards.  While  thinking  of  this,  an- 
other '  Well,  sir,  why  don't  you  obey  orders  ?  '  started 
me  into  the  lower  rigging,  which  I  began  with  the 
greatest  difficulty  to  climb,  expecting  at  every  step  to 
go  headlong  overboard. 

A  good-natured  sailor,  seeing  the  fix  I  was  in, 
gave  me  a  helping  hand,  and  up  I  crawled  as  far  as  the 
maintop.  This,  I  must  explain  to  my  non-nautical 
reader,  is  not  the  mast-head,  but  a  comparatively 
comfortable  half-way  resting-place,  from  whence  one 
can  look  about  feeling  somewhat  secure. 

On  looking  down  to  the  deck  my  heart  bled  to 
see  the  poor  sailor  who  had  helped  me  undergoing 
punishment  for  his  kind  act.  I  heard  myself  at 
the  same  time  ordered  '  to  go  higher,'  and  a  little 
higher  I  did  go.  Then  I  stopped,  frightened  to 
death,  and  almost  senseless  ;  terror,  however,  seemed 
to  give  me  presence  of  mind  to  cling  on,  and  there 


8  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

I  remained  till  some  hours  afterwards ;  then  I  was 
called  down.  On  reaching  the  deck  I  fainted,  and 
knew  no  more  till  I  awoke  after  some  time  in  my 
hammock. 

Now,  I  ask  anyone,  even  a  martinet  at  heart, 
whether  such  treatment  of  a  boy,  not  thirteen  years 
of  age,  putting  his  life  into  the  greatest  danger, 
taking  this  first  step  towards  breaking  his  spirit, 
and  in  all  probability  making  him,  as  most  likely 
had  been  done  to  the  poor  men  I  had  seen  flogged 
that  morning,  into  a  hardened  mutinous  savage,  was 
not  disgraceful  ? 

Moreover,  it  was  as  close  akin  to  murder  as  it 
could  be,  for  I  don't  know  how  it  was  I  didn't  fall 
overboard,  and  then  nothing  could  have  saved  my 
life.  However,  as  I  didn't  fall,  I  was  not  drowned, 
and  the  effect  on  me  was  curious  enough.  For  all 
I  had  seen  and  suffered  on  that  the  opening  day 
of  my  sea-life  made  me  think  for  the  first  time — 
and  I  have  never  ceased  thinking  (half  a  century 
has  passed  since  then) — how  to  oppose  tyranny  in 
every  shape.  Indeed,  I  have  always  done  so  to 
such  an  extent  as  to  have  been  frequently  called 
by  my  superiors  '  a  troublesome  character,'  '  a  sea 
lawyer,'  &c. 

Perhaps  in  this  way  I  have  been  able  to  effect 


A   ROUGH  START  IN  LIFE  9 

sometliing,  however  small,  towards  the  entire  change 
that  has  taken  place  in  the  treatment  of  those  hold- 
ing subordinate  positions  in  the  navy — and  that 
something  has  had  its  use,  for  the  tyrant's  hand  is 
by  force  stayed  now,  '  for  once  and  for  all.' 

With  this  little  I  am  satisfied. 

Now  let  us  briefly  look  into  the  question,  '  "Why 
are  men  tyrants  when  they  have  it  in  tlieir  'power  to 
he  so?* 

Unfortunately,  as  a  rule,  it  appears  to  come 
natural  to  them !  What  caused  the  Indian  Mutiny  ? 
Let  Indian  oflEicers  and  those  employed  in  the  Indian 
civil  service  answer  that  question. 

However,  I  have  only  to  do  with  naval  officers. 
My  experience  tells  me  that  a  man  clothed  with 
brief  but  supreme  authority,  such  as  the  command  of 
a  man-of-war,  in  those  days  when  for  months  and 
months  he  was  away  from  all  control  of  his  superiors 
and  out  of  reach  of  public  censure,  is  more  frequently 
apt  to  listen  to  the  promptings  of  the  devil,  which 
more  or  less  attack  every  man,  especially  when  he  is 
alone. 

Away  from  the  softening  influence  of  society 
and  the  wholesome  fear  of  restraint,  for  a  time  at 
least  the  voice  of  his  better  angel  is  silenced.  Per- 
haps   also   the    necessarily   solitary   position    of   a 


lo  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

commander  of  a  man-of-war,  liis  long,  lonely  hours, 
the  utter  change  from  the  jovial  life  he  led  previous 
to  being  afloat,  to  say  nothing  of  his  liver  getting 
occasionally  out  of  order,  may  all  tend  to  make  him 
ii-ritable  and  despotic. 

I  have  seen  a  captain  order  his  steward  to  be 
flogged,  almost  to  death,  because  his  pea-soup  was 
not  hot.  I  have  seen  an  oflScer  from  twenty  to 
twenty-five  years  of  age  made  to  stand  between  two 
guns  with  a  sentry  over  him  for  hours,  because  he 
had  neglected  to  see  and  salute  the  tyrant  who  had 
come  on  deck  in  the  dark.  And  as  a  proof,  though 
it  seems  scarcely  credible,  of  what  such  men  can  do 
when  unchecked  by  fear  of  consequences,  I  will  cite 
the  following : — 

On  one  occasion  the  captain  of  whom  I  have 
been  writing  invited  a  friend  to  breakfast  with  him, 
and  there  being,  I  suppose,  a  slight  monotony  in 
the  conversation,  he  asked  his  guest  whether  he 
would  like,  by  way  of  diversion,  to  see  a  man  flogged. 
The  amusement  was  accepted,  and  a  man  was 
flogged. 

It  was  about  the  time  I  write  of  that  the  tyranny 
practised  on  board  her  Majesty's  ships  was  slowly 
but  surely  dawning  upon  the  public,  and  a  general 
outcry  against  injustice  began. 


A   ROUGH  START  IN  LIFE  ii 

This  was  shown  in  a  very  significant  manner 
by  the  following  fact : — 

A  post-captain  of  high  rank  and  powerful  con- 
nections dared,  in  contradiction  to  naval  law,  to  flog 
a  midshipman.  This  young  officer's  father,  happen- 
ing to  be  a  somewhat  influential  man,  made  a  stir 
about  the  afiair.  The  honourable  captain  was  tried 
by  court-martial  and  severely  reprimanded. 

However,  I  will  cut  short  these  perhaps  uninte- 
resting details,  merely  stating  that  for  three  years  I 
suffered  most  shameful  treatment.  My  last  interview 
with  my  amiable  cousin  is  worth  relating.  The  ship 
was  paid  off",  and  the  captain,  on  going  to  the  hotel 
at  Portsmouth,  sent  for  me  and  offered  me  a  seat  on 
his  carriage  to  London.  Full  of  disgust  and  horror 
at  the  very  sight  of  him,  I  replied  that  I  would 
rather  '  crawl  home  on  my  hands  and  knees  than 
go  in  his  carriage,'  and  so  ended  our  acquaintance, 
for  I  never  saw  him  again. 

It  may  be  asked  how,  like  many  others,  I  tided 
over  all  the  ill-usage  and  the  many  trials  endured 
during  three  years.  The  fact  is,  I  had  become  during 
that  period  of  ill-treatment  so  utterly  hardened  to  it 
that  I  seemed  to  feel  quite  indifferent  and  didn't  care 
a  rap.     But  wasn't  I  glad  to  be  free  ! 

I  had  learnt  many  a  lesson  of  use  to  me  in  after 


12  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

life,  the  most  important  of  all  being  to  sympathise 
with  other  people's  miseries,  and  to  make  allowance 
for  the  faults  and  shortcomings  of  humanity. 

On  the  other  hand,  experience  is  a  severe  task- 
master, and  it  taught  me  to  be  somewhat  insub- 
ordinate in  my  notions.  I  fear  I  must  confess  that 
this  spirit  of  insubordination  has  never  left  me. 

On  my  arrival  at  home  my  relations  failed  to 
see  in  me  an  ill-used  lad  (I  was  only  sixteen),  and 
seemed  inclined  to  disbelieve  my  yams ;  but  this  did 
not  alter  the  facts,  nor  can  I  ever  forget  what  I  went 
through  during  that  '  reign  of  teiTor,'  as  it  might 
well  be  called. 

People  may  wonder  how  was  it  in  the  days  of 
Benbow  and  his  contemporaries  no  complaints  were 
made.  To  this  I  answer,  first,  that  the  men  of 
those  days,  knowing  the  utter  hopelessness  of  com- 
plaining, preferred  to  '  grin  and  bear  ; '  secondly,  that 
neither  officers  nor  men  were  supposed  to  possess 
such  a  thing  as  feeling,  when  they  had  once  put 
their  foot  on  board  a  man-of-war.  Then  there  were 
the  almost  interminable  sea  voyages  under  sail,  dur- 
ing which  unspeakable  tyrannies  could  be  practised, 
unheard  of  beyond  the  ship,  and  unpunished.  It 
must  be  remembered  that  there  were  no  telegraphs, 
no  newspaper  correspondents,  no  questioning  public, 


A   ROUGH  START  IN  LIFE  13 

SO  that  tho  evil  side  of  human  nature  (so  often 
shown  in  the  very  young  in  their  cruelty  to  animals) 
had  its  swing,  fearless  of  retribution. 

Let  us  leave  this  painful  subject,  with  the  con- 
soling thought  that  we  shall  never  see  the  like 
affain. 


14  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 


CHAPTER  II. 

PERILS   BY  SEA   AND   LAND. 

After  enjoying  a  few  weeks  at  home,  I  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  Naval  Brigade  on  service  in  Spain, 
acting  with  the  English  army,  who  were  there  by 
way  of  assisting  Queen  Christina  against  Don  Carlos. 

The  army  was  a  curious  collection  of  regular 
troops  and  volunteer  soldiers,  the  latter  what  would 
be  called  '  Bashi-Bazouks.'  The  naval  part  of  the 
expedition  consisted  of  1,200  Royal  Marines,  and  a 
brigade  of  sailors  under  the  orders  of  Lord  John 
Hay.  The  army  (barring  the  regulars,  who  were 
few  in  numbers)  was  composed  of  about  15,000  of 
the  greatest  rabble  I  ever  saw,  commanded  by  Sir 
De  Lacy  Evans, 

For  fear  any  objection  or  misapprehension  be 
applied  to  the  word  '  rabble,'  I  must  at  once  state 
that  these  volunteers,  though  in  appearance  so  motley 
and    undisciplined,   fought  splendidly,    and  in  that 


PERILS  BY  SEA   AND  LAND  15 

respect  did  all  honour  to  their  country  and  the  cause 
they  were  fighting  for. 

Very  soon  after  we  had  disembai'ked  I  received 
what  is  usually  called  my  '  baptism  of  fire,'  that  is  to 
say,  I  witnessed  'the  first  shot  fired  in  anger.'  The 
Carlists  were  pressing  hard  on  the  Queen's  forces, 
who  were  returning  towards  the  sea;  it  was  of 
the  greatest  importance  to  hold  certain  heights  that 
defended  San  Sebastian  and  the  important  port  of 
Passagis. 

The  gallant  marines  (as  usual  to  the  front)  were 
protecting  the  hill  on  which  Lord  John  was  standing ; 
the  fire  was  hot  and  furious.  I  candidly  admit  I  was 
in  mortal  fear,  and  when  a  shell  dropped  right  in 
the  middle  of  us,  and  was,  I  thought,  going  to  burst 
(as  it  did),  I  fell  down  on  my  face.  Lord  John,  who 
was  close  to  me,  and  looking  as  cool  as  a  cucumber, 
gave  me  a  severe  kick,  saying, '  Get  up,  you  cowardly 
young  rascal ;    are  you  not  ashamed  of  yourself  ?' 

I  did  get  up  and  was  ashamed  of  myself.  From 
that  moment  to  this  I  have  never  been  hard  upon 
those  who  flinched  at  the  first  fire  they  were  under. 
My  pride  helped  me  out  of  the  difficulty,  and  I 
flinched  no  more.  For  an  hour  or  so  the  battle  ragred 
furiously. 

By  degrees  all  fear  left  me  ;  I  felt  only  excitement 


i6  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

and  anger,  and  when  we  (a  lot  I  had  to  do  with 
it !)  drove  the  enemy  back  in  the  utmost  confusion, 
wasn't  I  proud ! 

When  all  was  over  Lord  John  called  me,  and 
after  apologising  in  the  most  courteous  manner  for 
the  kick,  he  gave  me  his  hand  (poor  fellow  !  he  had 
already  lost  one  arm  while  fighting  for  his  country), 
and  said  :  '  Don't  be  discouraged,  youngster ;  you  are 
by  no  means  the  first  who  has  shown  alarm  on  being 
for  the  first  time  under  fire.'     So  I  was  happy. 

It  is  not  my  intention  to  give  in  detail  the  events 
that  I  witnessed  duriug  that  disastrous  civil  war  in 
Spain ;  suffice  it  that  after  much  hard  fighting  the 
Carlists  were  driven  back  into  their  mountains  so  much 
discouraged  that  they  eventually  renounced  a  hopeless 
cause ;  and  at  all  events  for  a  long  period  order  was 
restored  in  Spain. 

After  sei-ving  under  Lord  John  Hay  for  six  or 
seven  months,  I  was  appointed  to  another  ship, 
which  was  ordered  to  my  old  station.  South  America. 

The  captain  of  my  new  ship  was  in  every  sense  a 
gentleman,  and  although  a  strict  disciplinarian,  was 
just  and  kind-hearted.  From  the  captain  downwards 
every  officer  was  the  same  in  thought  and  deed,  so 
we  were  all  as  happy  as  sand-boys.  It  was  then  that 
I  began  to  realise  a  fact  of  which  before  I  had  only 


PERILS  BY  SEA   AND  LAND  17 

a  notion — namely,  that  discipline  can  be  maintained 
without  undue  severity,  to  say  nothing  of  cruelty,  and 
that  service  in  the  navy  could  be  made  a  pleasure  as 
well  as  a  duty  to  one's  country. 

After  visiting  Rio  de  Janeiro,  we  were  sent  to  the 
River  Plate ;  there  we  remained  nearly  a  year,  during 
which  time  several  adventures  which  I  will  relate 
occurred,  both  concerning  my  duties  and  my  amuse- 
ments. 

I  must  tell  my  readers  that  from  earliest  boyhood 
I  had  a  passionate  love  for  shooting ;  and,  through 
the  kindness  of  my  commanding  officer  while  at 
Monte  Video,  I  was  allowed  constantly  to  indulge  in 
sport. 

On  one  occasion  my  captain,  who  was  a  keen 
sportsman,  took  me  with  him  out  shooting.  We 
had  a  famous  day's  sport,  filled  our  game  bags  with 
partridges,  ducks,  and  snipe,  and  were  returning 
home  on  horseback  when  a  solitary  horseman,  a  nasty- 
looking  fellow,  armed  to  the  teeth,  rode  up  to  us.  As 
I  knew  a  little  Spanish  we  began  to  talk  about 
shooting,  &c.  &c.  ;  then  he  asked  me  to  shoot  a  bird 
for  him  (the  reason  why  he  did  this  will  be  seen 
immediately).  I  didn't  like  the  cut  of  his  jib,  so 
rather  snubbed  him.  However,  he  continued  to  ride 
on  with  us,  to  within  half  a  mile  of  where  our  boat 
3 


i8  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

was  waiting  to  take  us  on  board.  I  must  explain 
our  relative  positions  as  we  rode  along.  Tlie  captain 
was  on  my  left,  I  next  to  him,  and  the  man  was  on 
my  right,  riding  very  near  to  me.  All  of  a  sudden 
he  exclaimed  in  Spanish,  '  Now  is  the  time  or  never,' 
threw  his  right  leg  over  the  pommel  of  his  saddle, 
slipped  on  to  the  ground,  drew  his  knife,  dashed  at 
me,  and  after  snatching  my  gun  from  my  hand, 
stuck  his  knife  (as  he  thought)  into  me.  Then  he 
rushed  towards  the  captain,  pulling  the  trigger  of 
my  gun,  and  pointing  straight  at  the  latter's  head ; 
the  gun  was  not  loaded,  having  only  the  old  percussion 
caps  on.  (Now  I  saw  why  he  wanted  me  to  fire,  so 
that  he  might  know  whether  my  gun  was  loaded; 
but  the  old  caps  evidently  deceived  him.) 

All  this  was  the  work  of  a  very  few  seconds.  Now 
what  was  my  chief  doing  ?  Seeing  a  row  going  on, 
he  was  dismounting;  in  fact,  was  half-way  off  his 
horse,  only  one  foot  in  the  stirrup,  when  the  man 
made  the  rush  at  him.  Finding  me  stuck  to  my 
saddle  (for  the  ruffian's  knife  had  gone  through  my 
coat  and  pinned  me),  and  the  fellow  snapping  my 
gun,  which  was  pointed  at  him,  he  as  coolly  as  possible 
put  his  gun  over  his  horse's  shoulder  and  shot  the 
would-be  murderer  dead  on  the  spot.  Then  turning 
to  me  he  said  quite  calmly,  '  I  call  you  to  witness 


PERILS  BY  SEA   AND  LAND  19 

that  that  man  intended  to  murder  me.'  How  differ- 
ently all  would  have  ended  had  my  gun  been  loaded  ! 
The  villain  would  have  shot  my  chief,  taken  both 
guns,  and  galloped  off,  leaving  me  ignominiously 
stuck  to  my  saddle. 

The  audacity  of  this  one  man  attacking  us  two 
armed  sportsmen  showed  the  immense  confidence 
these  prairie  people  feel  in  themselves,  especially  in 
their  superior  horsemanship.  However,  the  fellow 
caught  a  Tartar  on  this  occasion. 

As  for  me,  the  knife  had  gone,  as  I  said,  through 
my  loose  shooting  jacket  just  below  the  waist,  through 
the  upper  part  of  my  trousers,  and  so  into  the  saddle, 
without  even  touching  my  skin.  I  have  kept  the 
knife  in  memory  of  my  lucky  escape. 

While  laying  at  Monte  Video  there  was  on  each 
side  of  us  a  French  man-of-war,  the  oflScers  of  which 
were  very  amiably  inclined,  and  many  were  the  din- 
ners and  parties  exchanged  between  us. 

In  those  days  the  interchange  of  our  respective 
languages  was  very  limited  on  both  sides,  so  much  so, 
that  our  frantic  efforts  to  understand  each  other  were 
a  constant  source  of  amusement.  A  French  midship- 
man and  myself,  however,  considered  ourselves  equal 
to  the  occasion,  and  professed  linguists ;  so  on  the 
principle  that  in  the  '  land  of  the  blind  the  one- 


20  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

eyed  man  is  king,'  we  were  the  swells  of  the  fes- 
tivities. 

I  remember  on  one  occasion,  wlien  the  birthday 
of  Louis  Philippe  was  to  be  celebrated,  my  French 
midshipman  friend  came  on  board  officially  and  said, 
'  Sir,  the  first  of  the  month  is  the  feast  of  the  King  ; 
you  must  fire  the  gun.'  '  All  right,'  said  we.  Accord- 
ingly, we  loaded  our  guns  in  the  morning,  pre- 
paratory to  saluting  at  noon.  It  was  raining  heavily 
all  the  forenoon,  so  we  had  not  removed  what  is 
called  the  tompions  (to  my  unprofessional  reader  I 
may  say  that  the  tompion  is  a  very  large  piece  of 
wood  made  to  fit  into  the  muzzle,  for  the  purpose  of 
preventing  wet  from  penetrating).  To  this  tompion 
is,  or  used  to  be,  attached  a  large  piece  of  wadding, 
what  for  I  never  rightly  understood. 

Now  it  seems  that  those  whose  duty  it  was  to 
attend  to  it  had  neglected  to  take  these  things  out 
of  the  guns. 

On  the  first  gun  being  fired  from  the  French  ship 
we  began  our  salute.  The  French  ships  were  close 
alongside  of  us,  one  on  either  side.  The  gunner  who 
fires  stands  with  the  hand-glass  to  mark  the  time 
between  each  discharge.  On  this  occasion  he  began 
his  orders  thus  :  '  Fire,  port  j '  then  suddenly  recol- 
lecting that  the  tompions  were  not  removed  he  added, 


PERILS  BY  SEA   AND  LAND  21 

'  Tompions  are  in,  sir.'  No  one  moved.  The  gunner 
could  not  leave  his  work  of  marking  time.  Again  he 
gave  the  order, '  Fire,  starboard/  repeating, '  Tompions 
are  in,  sir,'  and  so  on  till  half  the  broadside  had  been 
fired  before  the  tompions  had  been  taken  out.  It 
is  difficult  to  describe  the  consternation  on  board 
the  French  vessels,  whose  decks  were  crowded  with 
strangers  (French  merchants,  &c.),  invited  from  the 
shore  to  do  honour  to  their  King's  fete.  These  horrid 
tompions  and  their  adjuncts  went  flying  on  to  their 
decks,  from  which  every  one  scampered  in  confusion. 
It  was  lucky  our  guns  did  not  burst. 

This  was  a  most  awkward  dilemma  for  all  of 
us.  I  was  sent  on  board  to  apologise.  The  French 
captain,  with  the  courtesy  of  his  nation,  took  the  mis- 
hap most  good-humouredly,  begging  me  to  return  the 
tompions  to  my  captain,  as  they  had  no  occasion 
for  them.  So  no  bad  feeling  was  created,  though 
shortly  after  this  contretemps  an  affair  of  so  serious 
a  nature  took  place,  that  a  certain  coldness  crept  in 
between  ourselves  and  our  ci-devant  friends. 

It  seems  that  there  had  been  of  late  several 
desertions  from  the  French  vessels  lying  at  Monte 
Video,  great  inducements  of  very  high  wages  being 
offered  by  the  revolutionary  party  in  Buenos  Ayres 
for  men  to  serve  them.     The  French  commander 


22  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

therefore  determined  to  search  all  vessels  leaving 
Monte  Video  for  other  ports  in  the  Eiver  Plate — 
a  somewhat  arbitrary  proceeding,  and  one  certain 
to  lead  to  misunderstanding  sooner  or  later. 

On  the  occasion  I  refer  to,  a  vessel  which,  though 
not  under  the  English  flag,  had  in  some  way  or 
other  obtained  English  protection,  was  leaving  the 
port ;  so  we  sent  an  officer  and  a  party  of  armed 
men  to  prevent  her  being  interfered  with.  I  was 
of  the  party,  which  was  commanded  by  our  second 
lieutenant.  Our  doing  this  gave  great  offence  to  the 
French  commander,  who  shortly  after  we  had  gone 
on  board  also  sent  a  party  of  armed  men,  with  posi- 
tive orders  to  search  the  vessel  at  all  risks.  On  our 
part  we  were  ordered  not  to  allow  the  vessel  to  be 
searched  or  interfered  with.  The  French  ofiicer,  a 
fine  young  fellow,  came  on  board  with  his  men  and  re- 
peated his  orders  to  Lieutenant  C .     The  vessel, 

I  may  mention,  was  a  schooner  of  perhaps  a  couple 
of  hundred  tons,  about  130  feet  long.  We  had 
taken  possession  of  the  after-part  of  the  deck,  the 
French  crew  established  themselves  on  the  forepart. 

Never  was  there  a  more  awkward  position.  The 
men  on  both  sides  loaded  and  cocked  their  muskets. 
The  English  and  French  officers  stood  close  to  one 
another.   The  former  said, '  Sir,  you  have  no  business 


PERILS  BY  SEA  AND  LAND  23 

here,  this  vessel  is  under  English  protection.  I  give 
you  five  minutes  to  leave  or  take  the  consequences.' 
The  other  replied,  '  Sir,  I  am  ordered  to  search  the 
vessel,  and  search  her  I  will.'  They  both  seemed  to, 
and  I  am  sure  did,  mean  business ;  for  myself,  I  got 
close  to  my  lieutenant  and  cocked  a  pistol,  intending 
to  shoot  the  French  officer  at  the  least  show  of 
fighting.  Nevertheless,  I  thought  it  a  shockingly 
cruel  and  inhuman  thing  to  begin  a  cold-blooded 
fight  under  such  circumstances. 

However,  to  obey  orders  is  the  duty  of  every 

man.     Lieutenant  C looked  at  his  watch ;  two 

minutes  to  spare.  The  marines  were  ordered  to 
prepare,  and  I  thought  at  the  end  of  the  two  minutes 
the  deck  of  the  little  vessel  would  have  been  steeped 
in  blood.  Just  then,  in  the  distance,  there  appeared 
a  boLt  pulling  towards  us  at  full  speed;  it  seems 
that  wis3r  counsels  had  prevailed  between  the 
captains  of  the  two  ships :  the  French  were  told  to 
withdraw  and  leave  the  vessel  in  our  hands. 

I  was  much  amused  at  the  cordial  way  in  which 
the  two  lieutenants  shook  hands  on  receiving  this 
order.  There  would  indeed  have  been  a  fearful 
story  to  tell  had  it  not  arrived  in  time ;  for  I  never 
saw  determination  written  so  strongly  on  men's 
countenances  as  on  those  of  both  parties,  so  nearly 


24  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

engaged  in  wliat  must  liave  proved  a  most  bloody 
fight. 

After  this  incident  cordial  relations  were  never 
re-establislied  between  ourselves  and  our  French 
friends  ;  fortunately,  shortly  afterwards  we  sailed  for 
Buenos  Ayres. 

Buenos  Ayres,  that  paradise  of  pretty  women, 
good  cheer,  and  all  that  is  nice  to  the  sailor  who  is 
always  ready  for  a  lark !  We  at  once  went  in  for 
enjoying  ourselves  to  our  heart's  content ;  we  began, 
every  one  of  us,  by  falling  deeply  in  love  before  we 
had  been  there  forty-eight  hours — I  say  eveiy  one, 
because  such  is  a  fact. 

My  respectable  captain,  who  had  been  for  many 
years  living  as  a  confirmed  bachelor  with  his  only  rela- 
tive, an  old  spinster  sister,  with  whom  he  chummed, 
and  I  fancy  had  hardly  been  known  to  speak  to 
another  woman,  was  suddenly  perceived  walking 
about  the  street  with  a  large  bouquet  in  his  hand, 
his  hair  well  oiled,  his  coat  (generally  so  loose  and 
comfortable-looking)  buttoned  tight  to  show  ofi"  his 
figure ;  and  then  he  took  to  sporting  beautiful  kid 
gloves,  and  even  to  dancing.  He  could  not  be  per- 
suaded to  go  on  board  at  any  cost,  while  he  had  never 
left  his  ship  before,  except  for  an  occasional  day's 
shooting.      In    short,   he   had   fallen   hopelessly  in 


PERILS  BY  SEA   AND  LAND  25 

love  with  a  buxom  Spanish  lady  with  lustrous  eyes 
as  black  as  her  hair,  the  widow  of  a  murdered 
governor  of  the  town. 

Our  first  and  second  lieutenants  followed  suit ; 
both  were  furiously  in  love;  and,  as  I  said,  every 
one,  even  a  married  man,  one  of  my  messmates,  fell 
down  and  worshipped  the  lovely  (and  lovely  they 
were,  and  no  mistake)  Spanish  girls  of  Buenos  Ayres, 
whose  type  of  beauty  is  that  which  only  the  blue 
blood  of  Spain  can  boast  of.  Now,  reader,  don't  be 
sliocked,  I  fell  in  love  myself,  and  my  love  affair 
proved  of  a  more  serious  nature,  at  least  in  its 
results,  than  that  of  the  others,  because,  while  the 
daughter  (she  was  sixteen,  and  I  seventeen)  re- 
sponded to  my  affection,  her  mother,  a  handsome 
woman  of  forty,  chose  to  fall  in  love  with  me  herself. 

This  was  rather  a  disagreeable  predicament,  for 
I  didn't,  of  course,  return  the  mother's  affection  a 
bit,  while  I  was  certainly  dreadfully  spoony  on  the 
daughter. 

To  make  a  long  story  short,  the  girl  and  I,  like 
two  fools  as  we  were,  decided  to  run  away  together, 
and  run  away  we  did.  I  should  have  been  married 
if  the  mother  hadn't  run  after  us.  She  didn't  object 
to  our  being  married,  but,  in  the  meantime,  she 
remained  with  us,  and  she  managed  to  make  the 


26  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

country  home  we  had  escaped  to,  with  the  inten- 
tion of  settling  down  there,  so  unbearable,  that, 
luckily  for  me  as  regards  my  future,  I  contrived  to 
get  away,  and  went  as  fast  as  I  could  on  board  my 
ship  for  refuge,  never  landing  again  during  our  stay 
at  Buenos  Ayres. 

Fortunately,  shortly  afterwards  we  were  ordered 
away,  and  so  ended  my  first  love  affair. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  melancholy,  woebegone 
faces  of  my  captain  and  brother  officers  on  our  re- 
assembling on  board.  It  was  really  most  ludicrous. 
However,  a  sea  voyage  which  included  several  sharp 
gales  of  wind  soon  erased  all  sad  memories  ;  things 
gradually   '  brightened,'   and   ere  many  weeks  had 

passed  all  on  board  H.M.S. resumed  their  usual 

appearance. 


CHAPTER  in. 

A  TRAGICAL   AFFAIR. 

Whilst  I  was  at  Buenos  Ayres  I  had  the  good 
luck  to  visit  the  independent  province  of  Paraguay, 
which  my  readers  must  have  heard  spoken  of,  some- 
times with  admiration,  sometimes  with  sneers,  as  the 
hot-bed  of  Jesuitism.  Those  who  sneer  say  that  the 
Jesuit  fathers  who  left  Spain  under  Martin  Garcia 
formed  this  colony  in  the  River  Plate  entirely  in 
accordance  with  the  principles  their  egotism  and  love 
of  power  dictated.  It  may  be  so ;  it  is  possible  that 
the  Jesuits  were  wrong  in  the  conclusions  they  came  to 
as  regards  the  governing  or  guiding  of  human  nature ; 
all  I  can  say  is,thattheperfect  order  reigningthrough- 
out  the  colony  they  had  formed,  the  respect  for  the 
clergy,  the  cheerful  obedience  to  laws,  the  industry 
and  peaceful  happiness  one  saw  at  every  step,  made 
an  impression  on  me  I  have  never  forgotten ;  and 
when  I  compare  it  with  the  discord,  the  crime,  and 


28  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

the  hatred  of  all  authority  which  is  now  prevailing, 
alas !  in  most  civilised  countries,  I  look  back  to  what 
I  saw  in  Paraguay  with  a  sigh  of  regret  that  such 
things  are  of  the  past.  It  was  beautiful  to  see  the 
respect  paid  to  the  Church  (the  acknowledged  ruler  of 
the  place),  the  cleanliness  and  comfort  of  the  farms 
and  villages,  the  good-will  and  order  that  prevailed 
amongst  the  natives.  It  was  most  interesting  to  visit 
the  schools,  where  only  so  much  learning  was  intro- 
duced as  was  considered  necessary  for  the  minds  of 
the  industrious  population,  without  rendering  them 
troublesome  to  the  colony  or  to  themselves.  Though 
the  inhabitants  were  mostly  of  the  fiery  and  un- 
governable Spanish  race,  who  had  mixed  with  the 
wild  aborigines,  it  is  remarkable  that  they  remained 
quiet  and  submissive. 

To  prevent  pernicious  influences  reaching  this 
*  happy  valley,'  the  strictest  regulations  were  main- 
tained as  regards  strangers  visiting  the  colony. 

The  River  Plate,  which,  coming  down  from  the 
Andes  through  hundreds  of  miles  of  rich  country, 
flows  through  Paraguay,  was  unavailable  to  com- 
merce owing  to  this  law  of  exclusiveness,  which  pre- 
vented even  the  water  which  washed  the  shores  being 
utilised.  However,  about  the  time  I  speak  of  the 
English  government  had  determined,  in  the  general 


A  BRAVE  DEED  29 

interests  of  trade,  to  oppose  this  monopoly,  and  to 
open  a  way  of  communication  up  tbe  river  by  force  if 
necessary.  The  Paraguayans  refused  to  accept  the 
propositions  made  by  the  English,  and  prepared  to 
fight  for  their  so-called  rights.  They  threw  a  for- 
midable barrier  across  the  stream,  and  made  a  most 
gallant  resistance.  It  was  on  this  occasion  that 
Captain  (now  Admiral)  H performed  the  cour- 
ageous action  which  covered  him  with  renown  for 
the  rest  of  his  life.  The  enemy  had,  amongst  other 
defences,  placed  a  heavy  iron  chain  across  the  river. 
This  chain  it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  remove,  and 
the  gallant  officer  I  refer  to,  who  commanded  the 
attack  squadron,  set  a  splendid  example  to  us  all  by 
dashing  forward  and  cutting  with  a  cold  chisel  the 
links  of  this  chain.  The  whole  time  he  was  thus  at 
work  he  was  exposed  to  a  tremendous  fire,  having 
two  men  killed  and  two  wounded  out  of  the  six  he 
took  with  him.  This  deed,  now  almost  forgotten  by 
the  public,  can  never  be  effaced  from  the  memory  of 
those  who  saw  it  done.  That  the  fight  was  a  severe 
one  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  the  vessel  I  belonged 
to  had  107  shots  in  her  hull,  and  thirty-five  out  of 
seventy  men  killed  and  wounded. 

It  was  after  we  had  thus  forced  ourselves  into 
intercourse   with   the  Paraguayans   that    I  saw  an 


30  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

instance  of  want  of  tact  which  struck  me  as  most 
remarkable.  Fighting  being  over,  diplomacy  stepped 
in,  and  a  man  of  somewhat  high  rank  in  that  service 
was  sent  to  make  friendly  overtures  to  the  authorities. 
Can  it  be  believed  (I  do  not  say  it  as  a  sneer  against 
diplomacy,  for  this  blunder  was  really  unique),  this 
big  man  had  scarcely  finished  the  pipe  of  peace  which 
he  smoked  with  the  authorities,  when  he  proposed  to 
introduce  vaccination  and  tracts  among  the  people  ? 
Badly  as  the  poor  fellows  felt  the  licking  they  had 
received,  and  much  as  they  feared  another  should  they 
give  trouble  to  the  invaders,  they  so  resented  our 
representative's  meddling  that  he  found  it  better  to 
beat  a  hasty  retreat,  and  to  send  a  wiser  man  in  his 
stead.  But  their  fate  was  sealed,  and  from  the 
moment  the  stranger  put  his  foot  into  this  interest- 
ing country  dates  its  entire  change.  The  system 
that  the  Jesuits  established  was  quickly  done  away 
with.  Paraguay  is  now  a  part  of  the  Argentine 
Republic,  it  is  generally  at  war  with  some  of  its 
neighbours,  and  its  inhabitants  are  poor,  disorderly, 
and  wretched. 

As  I  shall  have,  while  telling  the  story  of  my 
life,  to  relate  more  serious  events,  I  will,  after  recount- 
ing one  more  yarn,  not  weary  my  readers  with  the 
little  uninteresting  details  of  my  youthful  adventures, 


A    TRAGICAL  AFFAIR  31 

but  pass  over  the  next  three  years  or  so,  at  which 
time,  after  having  returned  to  England,  I  was 
appointed  to  another  ship  going  to  South  America, 
for  the  purpose  of  putting  down  the  slave  trade  in 
the  Brazils.  The  adventure  to  which  I  have  referred 
was  one  that  made  a  deep  impression  on  my  mind, 
as  being  of  a  most  tragic  nature. 

While  at  Rio  de  Janeiro  we  were  in  the  habit  of 
visiting  among  the  people,  attending  dances,  &c.  I 
always  remarked  that  the  pretty  young  Brazilian 
girls  liked  dancing  with  the  fresh  young  English 
sailors  better  than  with  their  mud-coloured  com- 
panions of  the  male  sex,  the  inhabitants  of  the  country. 

At  the  time  I  write  of  the  English  were  not  liked 
by  the  Brazilians,  partly  on  account  of  the  raid  we 
were  then  making  on  the  slave  trade,  partly  through 
the  usual  jealousy  always  felt  by  the  ignorant  towards 
the  enlightened.  So  with  the  men  we  were  seldom 
or  ever  on  good  terms,  but  with  the  girls  somehow 
sailors  always  contrive  to  be  friends. 

It  was  at  one  of  the  dances  I  have  spoken  of 
that  the  scene  I  am  about  to  describe  took  place. 

Among  the  pretty  girls  who  attended  the  ball 
was  one  prettier  perhaps  than  any  of  her  companions ; 
indeed,  she  was  called  the  belle  of  Rio  Janeiro.  I 
will  not  attempt  to  portray  her,  but  I  must  own  she 


32  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

was  far  too  bewitching  for  the  peace  of  heart  of  her 

many  admirers,  and  unhappily  she  was  an  unmitigated 
flirt  in  every  sense  of  the  word. 

Now  there  was  a  young  Brazilian  nobleman  who 
had,  as  he  thought,  been  making  very  successful 
progress  towards  winning  this  girl's  heart — if  she  had 
a  heart.  All  was  progressing  smoothly  enough  till 
these  hapless  English  sailors  arrived. 

Then,  perhaps  with  the  object  of  making  her  lover 
jealous  (a  very  common  though  dangerous  game), 
Mademoiselle  pretended  (for  I  presume  it  was  pre- 
tence) to  be  immensely  smitten  with  one  of  them — a 
handsome  young  midshipman  whom  we  will  call  A. 

At  the  ball  where  the  incident  I  refer  to 
occurred,  she  danced  once  with  him,  twice  with  him, 
and  was  about  to  start  with  him  a  third  time,  when, 
to  the  astonishment  of  the  lookers-on,  of  whom  I 
formed  part,  the  young  Brazilian  rushed  into  the 
middle  of  the  room  where  the  couple  were  standing, 
walked  close  up  to  them  and  spat  in  A.'s  face. 

Before  the  aggi*essor  could  look  round  him,  he 
found  himself  sprawling  on  the  floor,  knocked  by  the 
angry  Briton  into  what  is  commonly  called  '  a  cocked 
hat.'  Not  a  word  was  spoken.  A.  wiped  his  face, 
led  his  partner  to  a  seat  and  came  straight  to  me, 
putting  his  arm  in  mine  and  leading  me  into  the 


A   TRAGICAL  AFFAIR  33 

verandah.  The  Brazilian  picked  himself  up  and 
came  also  into  the  verandah  ;  in  less  time  than  I  can 
write  it  a  hostile  meeting  was  settled,  pistols  were 
procured,  and  we  (I  say  we,  because  I  had  under- 
taken to  act  as  A.'s  friend,  and  the  Brazilian  had 
also  engaged  a  friend)  sauntered  into  the  garden  as 
if -for  a  stroll. 

It  was  a  most  lovely  moonlight  night,  such  a 
night  as  can  only  be  seen  in  the  tropics. 

I  should  mention  that  the  chief  actors  in  the 
coming  conflict  had  neither  of  them  seen  twenty 
years,  and  we  their  seconds  were  considerably  under 
that  age.  The  aggressor,  whose  jealous  fuiy  had 
driven  him  almost  to  madness  when  he  committed 
an  outrageous  affront  on  a  stranger,  was  a  tall,  hand- 
some, dark-complexioned  young  fellow.  A.  was  also 
very  good-looking,  with  a  baby  complexion,  blue 
eyes  and  light  curly  hair,  a  very  type  of  the  Saxon 
race. 

They  both  looked  determined  and  calm.  After 
proceeding  a  short  distance  we  found  a  convenient 
spot  in  a  lovely  glade.  It  was  almost  as  clear  as 
day,  so  bright  was  the  moonlight.  The  distance 
was  measured  (fourteen  paces),  the  pistols  carefully 
loaded.  Before  handing  them  to  the  principals  we 
made  an  effort  at  arrangement,  an  effort  too  con- 


34  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

temptuously  received  to  be  insisted  upon,  and  we  saw 
that  any  attempt  at  reconciliation  would  be  of  no 
avail  without  the  exchange  of  shots ;  so,  handing  to 
each  his  weapon,  we  retired  a  short  distance  to  give 
the  signal  for  firing,  which  was  to  be  done  by  my 
dropping  a  pocket-handkerchief.  It  was  an  anxious 
moment  even  for  us,  who  were  only  lookers-on.  I 
gave  the  words,  one,  two,  three,  and  dropped  the 
handkerchief. 

The  pistols  went  off  simultaneously.  To  my  horror 
I  §aw  the  young  Brazilian  spin  round  and  drop  to 
the  ground,  his  face  downwards ;  we  rushed  up  to 
him  and  found  that  the  bullet  from  A.'s  pistol  had 
gone  through  bis  brain.     He  was  stone  dead. 

Then  the  solemnity  of  the  whole  affair  dawned 
on  us,  but  there  was  no  time  for  thought.  Some- 
thing must  be  done  at  once,  for  revenge  quick 
and  fearful  was  sure  to  follow  such  a  deed  like 
lightning. 

"We  determined  to  hurry  A.  off  to  his  ship,  and 
I  begged  the  young  Brazilian  to  go  into  the  house 
and  break  the  sad  news.  The  poor  fellow,  though 
fearfully  cut  up,  behaved  like  a  gentleman,  walking 
slowly  away  so  as  to  give  us  time  to  escape.  As  we 
passed  the  scene  of  gaiety  the  sounds  of  music  and 
dancing  were  going  on,  just  as  when  we  left  it.  How 


A    TRAGICAL  AFFAIR  35 

little  the  jovial  throng  dreamt  of  the  tragedy  that 
had  just  been  enacted  within  a  few  yards  of  them ; 
of  the  young  life  cut  down  on  its  threshold  ! 

We  got  on  board  all  right,  but  such  a  terrible  row 
was  made  about  the  affair  that  the  ship  to  which  A. 
belonged  had  to  go  to  sea  the  next  day,  and  did  not 
appear  again  at  Rio  de  Janeiro. 

I,  though  not  belonging  to  that  vessel,  was  not 
allowed  to  land  for  many  months. 


36  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 


CHAPTER  IV. 

RIO    DE    JANEIRO. 

One  word  about  Rio  de  Janeiro.  Rio,  as  it  is 
generally  called,  is  perhaps  one  of  the  most  lovely 
spots  in  the  world.  The  beautifnl  natural  bay  and 
harbour  are  unequalled  throughout  the  whole  uni- 
verse. Still,  like  the  Bosphorus,  the  finest  efiect  is 
made  by  Rio  de  Janeiro  when  looked  at  from  the 
water.  In  the  days  of  which  I  write  yellow  fever 
was  unknown ;  now  that  fearful  disease  kills  its 
thousands,  aye,  tens  of  thousands,  yearly.  The 
climate,  though  hot  at  times,  is  very  good ;  in  the 
summer  the  mornings  are  hot  to  a  frying  heat,  but 
the  sea  breeze  comes  in  regularly  as  clockwork,  and 
when  it  blows  everything  is  cool  and  nice.  Life  is 
indeed  a  lazy  existence ;  there  is  no  outdoor  amuse- 
ment of  any  kind  to  be  had  in  the  neighbourhood. 
As  to  shooting,  there  are  only  a  few  snipe  to  be 
found  here  and  there,  and  while  looking  for  these 
you   must  beware  of  snakes   and   other  venomous 


RIO  DE  JANEIRO  37 

reptiles,  which  abound  both  in  the  country  and  in 
town.  I  remember  a  terrible  fright  a  largo  picnic 
party,  at  which  I  assisted,  was  thrown  into  while 
lunching  in  the  garden  of  a  villa,  almost  in  the  town 
of  Rio,  by  a  lady  jumping  up  from  her  seat  with 
a  deadly  whip-snake  hanging  on  her  dress.  I  once 
myself  sat  on  an  adder  who  put  his  fangs  through 
the  woollen  stuff  of  my  inexpressibles  and  could  not 
escape.  The  same  thing  happened  with  the  lady's 
dress ;  in  that  case  also  we  caught  the  snake,  as  it 
could  not  disentangle  its  fangs. 

In  the  country  near  Rio  there  are  great  snakes 
called  the  anaconda,  a  sort  of  boa-constrictor  on  a 
large  scale.  Once,  while  walking  in  the  woods  with 
some  friends,  we  found  a  little  Indian  boy  dead  on 
the  ground,  one  of  these  big  snakes  lying  within  a 
foot  or  so  of  him,  also  dead;  the  snake  had  a  poisoned 
arrow  in  his  brain,  which  evidently  had  been  shot  at 
him  by  the  poor  little  boy,  whose  blow-pipe  was 
lying  by  his  side.  The  snake  must  have  struck  the 
boy  before  it  died,  as  we  found  a  wound  on  the 
boy's  neck.  This  reptile  measured  twenty-two  feet 
in  length. 

By  the  way,  a  well-kno\vn  author,  Mrs.  B , 

tells  a  marvellous  story  about  these  snakes.  She  says 
that  they  always  go  in  pairs,  have  great  affection  for 


38  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

each  other,  and  are  prepared  on  all  occasions  to  resent 
affronts  offered  to  either  of  them.  She  narrates  that  a 
peasant  once  killed  a  big  anaconda,  and  that  the  other, 
or  chum  snake,  followed  the  man  several  miles  to  the 
house  where  he  had  taken  the  dead  one,  got  in  by 
the  window,  and  crushed  the  destroyer  of  his  friend 
to  death.  I  expect  that  some  salt  is  necessary  to 
swallow  this  tale,  but  such   is  the  statement  Mrs. 

B makes. 

The  most  lovely  birds  and  butterflies  are  found 
near  Eio,  and  the  finest  collections  in  the  world 
are  made  there.  The  white  people  are  Portuguese 
by  origin — not  a  nice  lot  to  my  fancy,  though 
the  ladies  are  as  usual  always  nice,  especially  when 
young;  they  get  old  very  soon  through  eating  sweets 
and  not  taking  exercise.  There  is  very  little  poverty 
except  among  the  free  blacks,  who  are  lazy  and  idle 
and  somewhat  vicious.  I  always  have  believed  that 
the  black  man  is  an  inferior  animal — in  fact,  that  the 
dark  races  are  meant  to  be  drawers  of  water  and 
hewers  of  wood.  I  do  not  deny  that  they  have  souls 
to  be  saved,  but  I  believe  that  their  role  in  this 
world  is  to  attend  on  the  white  man.  The  black  is,  and 
for  years  has  been,  educated  on  perfect  equality  with 
the  white  man,  and  has  had  every  chance  of  improving 
himself — with  what  result  ?    You  could  almost  count 


RIO  DE  JANEIRO  39 

on  your  fingers  the  names  of  those  who  have  clistin- 
guished  themselves  in  the  battle  of  life. 

Sometimes,  while  cruising  off  the  coast  of  Rio 
de  Janeiro  looking  out  for  slave  vessels,  we  passed 
a  very  monotonous  life.  The  long  and  fearfully  hot 
mornings  before  the  sea  breeze  sets  in,  the  still  longer 
and  choking  nights  with  the  thermometer  at  108°, 
were  trying  in  the  extreme  to  those  accustomed  to 
the  fresh  air  of  northern  climates  ;  but  sailors  have 
always  something  of  the  '  Mark  Tapley '  about  them 
and  are  generally  jolly  under  all  circumstances,  and 
so  it  was  with  me.  One  day,  while  longing  for 
something  to  do,  I  discovered  that  the  crew  had 
been  ordered  to  paint  the  ship  outside ;  as  a  pastime 
I  put  on  old  clothes  and  joined  the  painting  party. 
Planks  were  hung  round  the  ship  by  ropes  being 
tied  to  each  end  of  the  plank ;  on  these  the  men 
stood  to  do  their  work.  We  had  not  been  employed 
there  very  long  when  there  was  a  cry  from  the  deck 
that  the  ship  was  surrounded  by  sharks.  It  seems 
that  the  butcher  had  killed  a  sheep,  whose  entrails, 
having  been  thrown  overboard,  attracted  these  fearful 
brutes  round  the  ship  in  great  numbers.  As  may 
be  imagined,  this  report  created  a  real  panic  among 
the  painters,  for  I  believe  we  all  feared  a  shark  more 
than  an  enemy  a^med  to  the  teeth.     I  at  once  mad© 


40  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

a  hurried  movement  to  get  off  my  plank.  As  I  did 
so  the  rope  at  one  end  slipped  off,  and  so  threw  the 
piece  of  wood,  to  which  I  had  to  hang  as  on  a  rope, 
up  and  down  the  vessel's  side,  bringing  my  feet  to 
within  a  very  few  inches  of  the  water.  On  looking 
downwards  I  saw  a  great  shark  in  the  water,  almost 
within  snapping  distance  of  my  legs.  I  can  swear 
that  my  hair  stood  on  end  with  fear ;  though  I  held 
on  like  grim  death,  I  felt  myself  going,  yes,  going, 
little  by  little  right  into  the  beast's  jaws.  At  that 
moment,  only  just  in  time,  a  rope  was  thrown  over  my 
head  from  the  deck  above  me,  and  I  was  pulled  from 
my  fearfully  perilous  position,  more  dead  than  alive. 
Now  for  revenge  on  the  brutes  who  would  have  eaten 
me  if  they  could !  It  was  a  dead  calm,  the  sharks 
were  still  swimming  round  the  ship  waiting  for  their 
prey.  We  got  a  lot  of  hooks  with  chains  attached 
to  them,  on  which  we  put  baits  of  raw  meat.  I 
may  as  well  mention  a  fact  not  generally  known, 
viz.,  that  a  shark  must  turn  on  his  back  before 
opening  his  capacious  mouth  sufficiently  to  feed 
himself;  when  he  turns  he  means  business,  and 
woe  to  him  who  is  within  reach  of  the  man-eater's 
jaws.  On  this  occasion  what  we  offered  them 
was  merely  a  piece  of  meat,  and  most  ravenously 
did  they  rush,  turn  on  their  backs,  and  swallow  it. 


RIO  DE  JANEIRO  41 

only  to  find  that  tliey  were  securely  hooked,  and 
could  not  bite  through  the  chains  that  were  fast  to 
the  hooks — in  fact,  that  it  was  all  up  with  them. 
Orders  had  been  given  by  the  commanding  officer 
that  the  sharks  were  not  to  be  pulled  on  board, 
partly  from  the  dangerous  action  of  their  tails  and 
jaws  even  when  half  dead,  partly  on  account  of  the 
confusion  they  make  while  floundering  about  the 
decks ;  so  we  hauled  them  close  to  the  top  of  the 
water,  fired  a  bullet  into  their  brains  and  cut  them 
loose.  We  killed  thirty  that  morning  in  this  way, 
some  of  them  eight  to  ten  feet  long. 

The  most  horrid  thing  I  know  is  to  see,  as  I 
have  done  on  more  than  one  occasion,  a  man  taken 
by  a  shark.  You  hear  a  fearful  scream  as  the  poor 
wretch  is  dragged  down,  and  nothing  remains  to  tell 
the  dreadful  tale  excepting  that  the  water  is  deeply 
tinged  with  blood  on  the  spot  where  the  unfortunate 
man  disappeared.  These  ravenous  man-eaters  scent 
blood  from  an  enormous  distance,  and  their  promi- 
nent upper  fin,  which  is  generally  out  of  the  water 
as  they  go  along  at  a  tremendous  pace,  may  be  seen 
at  a  groat  distance,  and  they  can  swim  at  the  rate  of 
a  mile  a  minute.  A  shark  somewhat  reminds  me 
of  the  torpedo  of  the  present  day,  and  in  my  humble 
opinion  is  much  more  dangerous. 
3 


42  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

Once  we  caught  a  large  shark.  On  opening  him 
we  found  in  his  inside  a  watch  and  chain  quite 
perfect.  Could  it  have  been  that  some  poor  wretch 
had  been  swallowed  and  digested,  and  the  watch 
only  remained  as  being  indigestible  ? 

It  is  strange  to  see  the  contempt  with  which  the 
black  man  treats  a  shark,  the  more  especially  when 
he  has  to  do  with  him  in  shallow  water.  A  negro 
takes  a  large  knife  and  diving  under  the  shark  cuts 
its  bowels  open.  If  the  water  is  deep  the  shark  can 
go  lower  down  than  the  man  and  so  save  himself, 
and  if  the  nigger  don't  take  care  he  will  eat  him ; 
thus  the  black  man  never  goes  into  deep  water  if  he 
can  help  it,  for  he  is  always  expecting  a  shark. 


CHAPTER  V. 

SLAVER     HUNTING. 

Shortly  after  the  duel  at  Rio  I  went  to  England, 
but  to  be  again  immediately  appointed  to  a  vessel 
on  the  Brazilian  station. 

It  was  at  the  time  when  philanthropists  of  Europe 
were  crying  aloud  for  the  abolition  of  the  African 
slave  trade,  never  taking  for  a  moment  into  considera- 
tion the  fact  that  the  state  of  the  savage  African 
black  population  was  infinitely  bettered  by  their 
being  conveyed  out  of  the  misery  and  barbarism  of 
their  own  country,  introduced  to  civilization,  given 
opportunities  of  embracing  religion,  and  taught  that 
to  kill  and  eat  each  other  was  not  to  be  considered 
as  the  principal  pastime  among  human  beings. 

At  the  period  I  allude  to  (from  1841  to  1845) 
the  slave  trade  was  carried  out  on  a  large  scale 
between  the  coast  of  Africa  and  South  America ;  and 
a  most  lucrative  trade  it  was,  if  the  poor  devils  of 


44  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

negroes  could  be  safely  conveyed  alive  from  one  coast 
to  the  other.  I  say  if,  because  the  risk  of  capture 
was  so  great  that  the  poor  wretches,  men,  women, 
and  children,  were  packed  like  herrings  in  the  holds 
of  the  fast  little  sailing  vessels  employed,  and  to  such 
a  fearful  extent  was  this  packing  carried  on  that, 
even  if  the  vessels  were  not  captured,  more  than  half 
the  number  of  blacks  embarked  died  from  suffocation 
or  disease  before  arriving  at  their  destination,  yet 
that  half  was  sufficient  to  pay  handsomely  those 
engaged  in  trade. 

On  this  point  I  propose  giving  examples  and 
proofs  hereafter,  merely  remarking,  en  passant,  that 
had  the  negroes  been  brought  over  in  vessels  that 
were  not  liable  to  be  chased  and  captured,  the  owners 
of  such  vessels  would  naturally,  considering  the  great 
value  of  their  cargo,  have  taken  precautions  against 
overcrowding  and  disease.  Now,  let  us  inquire  as 
to  the  origin  of  these  poor  wretched  Africans  be- 
coming slaves,  and  of  their  being  sold  to  the  white 
man.  It  was,  briefly  speaking,  in  this  wise.  On  a 
war  taking  place  between  two  tribes  in  Africa,  a 
thing  of  daily  occurrence,  naturally  many  prisoners 
were  made  on  both  sides.  Of  these  prisoners  those 
who  were  not  tender  enough  to  be  made  into  ragout 
were  taken  down  to   the  sea-coast  and  sold  to  the 


SLAVER  HUNTING  45 

slave-dealers,  who  had  wooden  barracks  established 
ready  for  their  reception. 

Into  these  barracks,  men,  women,  and  children, 
most  of  whom  were  kept  in  irons  to  prevent  escape, 
were  bundled  like  cattle,  there  to  await  embarkation  on 
board  the  vessels  that  would  convey  them  across  the 
sea. 

Now,  as  the  coast  was  closely  watched  on  the 
African  side,  to  prevent  the  embarkation  of  slaves,  as 
it  was  on  the  Brazilian  side,  to  prevent  their  being 
landed,  the  poor  wretches  were  frequently  waiting 
for  weeks  on  the  seashore  undergoing  every  species 
of  torment. 

At  last  the  vessel  to  carry  off  a  portion  of  them 
arrived,  when  they  were  rushed  on  board  and  thrown 
into  the  hold  regardless  of  sex,  like  bags  of  sand,  and 
the  slaver  started  on  her  voyage  for  the  Brazils. 
Perhaps  while  on  her  way  she  was  chased  by  an 
English  cruiser,  in  which  case,  so  it  has  often  been 
known  to  happen,  a  part  of  the  living  cargo  would  be 
thrown  overboard,  trusting  that  the  horror  of  leaving 
human  beings  to  be  drowned  would  compel  the 
officers  of  the  English  cruiser  to  slacken  their  speed 
while  picking  the  poor  wretches  up,  and  thus  give 
the  slaver  a  better  chance  of  escape.  (This  I  have 
seen  done  myself,  fortunately  unavailingly.) 


46  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

I  will  now  ask  the  reader  to  bring  his  thoughts 
back  to  the  coast  of  Brazil,  where  a  good  look-out 
was  being  kept  for  such  vessels  as  I  have  mentioned 
as  leaving  the  African  coast  with  live  cargo  on 
board  bound  for  the  Brazilian  waters.  Rio  de 
Janeiro,  the  capital  of  Brazil,  was  the  headquarters 
of  the  principal  slave-owners.  It  was  there  that  all 
arrangements  were  made  regarding  the  traffic  in 
slaves,  the  despatch  of  the  vessels  in  which  they 
were  to  be  conveyed,  the  points  on  which  they  were 
to  land,  &c.,  and  it  was  at  Rio  that  the  slave  vessels 
made  their  rendezvous  before  and  after  their  voyages. 
It  was  there  also  that  the  spies  on  whose  information 
we  acted  were  to  be  found,  and  double-faced  scoun- 
drels they  were,  often  giving  information  which  caused 
the  capture  of  a  small  vessel  with  few  slaves  on  board, 
while  the  larger  vessel,  with  twice  the  number,  was 
landing  her  cargo  unmolested. 

As  for  myself,  I  was  at  the  time  of  life  when 
enterprise  was  necessary  for  my  existence,  and  so 
keenly  did  I  join  in  the  slave-hunting  mania  that  I 
found  it  dangerous  to  land  in  the  town  of  Rio  for 
fear  of  assassination. 

My  captain,  seeing  how  enthusiastic  I  was  in  the 
cause,  which  promised  prize-money  if  not  renown, 
encouraged  me  by  placing   me  in  a  position  that, 


SLAVER  HUNTING  47 

as  a  humble  midshipman,  I  was  scarcely  entitled  to, 
gave  me  his  confidence,  and  thus  made  me  still  more 
zealous  to  do  something,  if  only  to  show  my  gratitude. 

Having  picked  up  all  the  information  possible  as 
regarded  the  movements  of  the  slave  vessels,  we 
started  on  a  cruise,  our  minds  set  particularly  on  the 
capture  of  a  celebrated  craft  called  the  '  Lightning,' 
a  vessel  renowned  for  her  great  success  as  a  slave 
ship,  whose  captain  declared  (this  made  our  mission 
still  more  exciting)  that  he  would  show  fight,  especially 
if  attacked  by  English  men-of-war  boats  when  away 
from  the  protection  of  their  ships. 

I  must  mention  that  it  was  the  custom  of  the 
cruisers  on  the  coast  of  Brazil  to  send  their  boats 
on  detached  service,  they  (the  boats)  going  in  one 
direction  while  the  vessels  they  belonged  to  went  in 
another,  only  communicating  every  two  or  three  days. 
Proud  indeed  for  me  was  the  moment  when,  arriving 
near  to  the  spot  on  the  coast  where  the  '  Lightning ' 
was  daily  expected  with  her  live  cargo,  I  left  my 
ship  in  command  of  three  boats,  viz.,  a  ten-oared 
cutter  and  two  four-oared  whale  boats.  I  had  with 
me  in  all  nineteen  men,  well  armed  and  prepared, 
as  I  imagined,  for  every  emergency.  The  night  we 
left  our  ship  we  anchored  late  under  the  shelter  of 
a  small   island,  and  all  hands   being  tired  from   a 


48  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

long  row  in  a  hot  sun,  I  let  my  men  go  to  sleep 
during  the  short  tropical  darkness.  As  soon  as 
the  day  was  breaking  all  hands  were  alert,  and  we 
saw  with  delight  a  beautiful  rakish-looking  brig, 
crammed  with  slaves,  close  to  the  island  behind  which 
we  had  taken  shelter,  steering  for  a  creek  on  the 
mainland  a  short  distance  from  us.  I  ought  to  men- 
tion that  the  island  in  question  was  within  four  miles 
of  this  creek.  We  immediately  prepared  for  action, 
and  while  serving  out  to  each  man  his  store  of 
cartridges,  I  found  to  my  horror  that  the  percussion 
tubes  and  caps  for  the  boat's  gun,  the  muskets  and 
pistols,  had  been  left  on  board  the  ship.  What  was 
to  be  done  ?  no  use  swearing  at  anybody.  However, 
we  pulled  boldly  out  from  under  the  shelter  of  the 
island,  thinking  to  intimidate  the  slaver  into  heaving 
to.     In  this  we  were  grievously  mistaken. 

The  vessel  with  her  men  standing  ready  at  their 
guns  seemed  to  put  on  a  defiant  air  as  she  sailed 
majestically  past  us,  and  although  we  managed  with 
lucifer  matches  to  fire  the  boat's  gun  once  or  twice, 
she  treated  us  with  sublime  contempt  and  went  on 
her  way  into  the  creek,  at  the  rate  of  six  or  seven 
miles  an  hour.  Though  difficult  to  attack  the  vessel 
in  the  day  time  without  firearms,  I  determined  if 
possible  not  to  lose  altogether  this  splendid  brig.     I 


SLAVER  HUNTING  49 

waited  therefore  till  after  sunset,  and  then  pulled 
silently  into  the  creek  with  muffled  oars.  Tliere  was 
our  friend  securely  lashed  to  the  rocks.  We  dashed 
on  board  with  drawn  cutlasses,  anticipating  an 
obstinate  resistance.  We  got  possessioD  of  the  deck 
in  no  time,  but  on  looking  round  for  someone  to  fight 
with,  saw  nothing  but  a  small  black  boy  who,  having 
been  roused  up  from  a  sort  of  dog-kennel  in  which 
he  had  been  sleeping,  first  looked  astonished  and 
then  burst  out  laughing,  pointing  as  he  did  so  to  the 
shore.  Yes,  the  shore  to  which  the  slaver  brig  was 
lashed  was  the  spot  where  seven  hundred  slaves  (or 
nearly  that  number,  for  we  found  three  or  four  half- 
dead  negroes  in  the  hold)  and  the  crew  had  all  gone, 
and  left  us  lamenting  our  bad  luck.  However,  I 
took  possession  of  the  vessel  as  she  lay,  and  though 
threatened  day  and  night  by  the  natives,  who  kept 
up  a  constant  fire  from  the  neighbouring  heights  and 
seemed  preparing  to  board  us,  maintained  our  hold 
upon  the  craft  until  the  happy  arrival  of  my  ship, 
which,  with  a  few  rounds  of  grape,  soon  cleared  the 
neighbourhood  of  our  assailants.  I  may  mention  that, 
in  the  event  of  our  having  been  boarded,  we  had  pre- 
pared a  warm  reception  for  our  enemies  in  the  shape  of 
buckets  of  boiling  oil  mixed  with  lime,  which  would 
have  been  poured  on  their  devoted  heads  while  in  the 


so  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

act  of  climbing  up  the  side.  As  they  kept,  however, 
at  a  respectful  distance,  our  remedy  was  not  tried. 
The  vessel,  a  splendid  brig  of  400  tons,  was  then 
pulled  off  her  rocky  bed,  and  I  was  sent  in  charge  of 
her  to  Rio  de  Janeiro.  And  now  comes  the  strangest 
part  of  my  adventures  on  this  occasion. 

On  the  early  morning  after  I  had  parted  company 
with  my  commanding  officer,  before  the  dawn,  I  ran 
accidentally  right  into  a  schooner  loaded  with  slaves, 
also  coming  from  Africa,  bound  to  the  same  place  as 
had  been  the  brig,  my  prize. 

Without  the  slightest  hesitation,  before  the  shock 
and  surprise  caused  by  the  collision  had  given  time 
for  reflection  or  resistance,  I  took  possession  of  this 
vessel,  put  the  crew  in  irons,  and  hoisted  English 
colours.  There  were  460  Africans  on  board,  and 
what  a  sight  it  was  ! 

The  schooner  had  been  eighty-five  days  at  sea. 
They  were  short  of  water  and  provisions ;  three  dis- 
tinct diseases — namely,  small-pox,  ophthalmia,  and 
diarrhoea  in  its  worst  form — had  broken  out  while 
coming  across  among  the  poor  doomed  wretches. 

On  opening  the  hold  we  saw  a  mass  of  arms, 
legs,  and  bodies  all  crushed  together.  Many  of  the 
bodies  to  whom  these  limbs  belonged  were  dead  or 
dying.     In  fact,  when  we  had   made  some  sort  of 


SLAVER  HUNTING  ji 

clearance  among  them  we  found  in  that  fearful  hold 
eleven  dead  bodies  lying  among  the  living  freight. 
Water !  water !  was  the  cry.  Many  of  them  as  soon 
as  free  jumped  into  the  sea,  partly  from  the  delirious 
state  they  were  in,  partly  because  they  had  been  told 
that,  if  taken  by  the  English,  they  would  be  tortured 
and  eaten.  The  latter  I  fancy  they  were  accustomed 
to,  but  the  former  they  had  a  wholesome  dread  of. 

Can  Mrs.  Beecher  Stowe  beat  this  ?  It  is,  I  can 
assure  my  readers,  a  very  mild  description  of  what  I 
saw  on  board  the  first  cargo  of  slaves  I  made  the 
acquaintance  of,  and  by  which  I  was  so  deeply 
impressed,  that  I  have  ever  since  been  sceptical  of 
the  benefits  conferred  upon  the  African  race  by  our 
blockade — at  all  events,  of  the  means  employed  to 
abolish  slavery. 

Tlie  strangest  thing  amid  this  '  confusion  of 
horrors '  was  that  childi'en  were  constantly  being 
bom.  In  fact,  just  after  I  got  on  board,  an  unfor- 
tunate creature  was  delivered  of  a  child  close  to 
where  I  was  standing,  and  jumped  into  the  sea, 
baby  and  all,  immediately  afterwards.  She  was 
saved  with  much  difficulty ;  the  more  so,  as  she 
seemed  to  particularly  object  to  being  rescued  from 
what  nearly  proved  a  watery  grave. 

After  this  unusual  stroke  of  good  luck,  sending 


52  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

a  prize  crew  on  board  my  new  capture,  and  allowing 
the  slaver's  crew  to  escape  in  the  schooner's  "boat,  as 
I  considered  these  lawless  ruffians  an  impediment 
to  my  movements,  I  proceeded  on  my  voyage,  and 
arrived  safely  in  Rio  harbour  with  my  two  prizes. 

There  I  handed  my  live  cargo  over  to  the  English 
authorities,  who  had  a  special  large  and  roomy  vessel 
lying  in  the  harbour  for  the  reception  of  the  now 
free  niggers. 

It  would  be  as  well  perhaps  to  state  what  became 
of  the  freed  blacks.  First  of  all  they  were  cleaned, 
clothed  (after  a  fashion),  and  fed ;  then  they  were 
sent  to  an  English  colony,  such  for  example  as 
Demerara,  where  they  had  to  serve  seven  years  as 
apprentices  (something,  I  must  admit,  very  like 
slavery),  after  which  they  were  free  for  ever  and  all. 
I  fear  they  generally  used  their  freedom  in  a  way 
that  made  them  a  public  nuisance  wherever  they 
were.  However,  they  were  free,  and  that  satisfied 
the  philanthropists. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
SLAVER  HUNTING  (continued). 

Now  to  return  to  my  '  experiences.'  As  proud  as 
the  young  sportsman  when  he  has  killed  his  first 
stag,  I  returned,  keen  as  mustard,  to  my  ship,  which 
I  found  still  cruising  near  to  where  I  had  left  her. 
Some  secret  information  that  I  had  received  while  at 
Rio  led  me  to  ask  my  captain  to  again  send  me  away 
with  a  force  similar  to  that  which  I  had  under  me  be- 
fore (with  percussion  caps  this  time),  and  allow  me  to 
station  myself  some  fifty  miles  further  down  the  coast. 
My  request  was  granted,  and  away  I  went.  This  time, 
instead  of  taking  shelter  under  an  island,  I  ensconced 
my  little  force  behind  a  point  of  land  which  enabled 
me  by  mounting  on  the  rocks  to  sweep  the  horizon 
with  a  spy-glass,  so  that  I  could  discover  any  vessel 
approaching  the  land  while  she  was  yet  at  a  con- 
siderable distance. 

There  happened  to  be  a  large  coffee  plantation  in 


54  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

my  immediate  neighbourliood,  and  I  remarked  that 
the  inhabitants  favoured  us  with  the  darkest  of 
scowls  whenever  we  met  them.  This  made  me 
believe  (and  I  wasn't  far  out)  that  the  slave  vessel  I 
v/as  looking  out  for  was  bringing  recruits  to  the 
already  numerous  slaves  employed  on  the  said  plan- 
tation. Two  or  three  mornings  after  my  arrival,  I 
discovered  a  sail  on  the  very  far  horizon ;  a  vessel 
evidently  bound  to  the  immediate  neighbourhood  I 
had  chosen  as  my  look-out  place.  The  winds  were 
baffling  and  light,  as  usual  in  the  morning  in  these 
latitudes,  where,  however,  there  is  always  a  sea 
breeze  in  the  afternoon.  So,  being  in  no  hurry,  I 
sauntered  about  the  shore  with  my  double-barrelled 
gun  in  my  hand,  occasionally  taking  a  look  seaward. 
Suddenly  I  saw  within  a  hundred  yards  of  me  a  man 
leading  two  enormous  dogs  in  a  leash.  The  dogs 
were  of  a  breed  well  known  among  slave-owners, 
as  they  were  trained  to  run  down  runaway  slaves. 
I  believe  the  land  of  their  origin  is  Cuba,  as  they  are 
called  Cuba  bloodhounds. 

Suspecting  nothing  I  continued  my  lounge,  turn- 
ing my  back  on  the  man  and  his  dogs.  A  few 
minutes  afterwards  I  was  startled  by  a  rushing  sound 
behind  me.  On  turning  quickly  round  I  saw  to  my 
horror   two   huge   dogs   galloping   straight   at   me. 


SLAVER  HUNTING  55 

Quick  as  lightning  I  stood  on  the  defensive,  and 
when  they  with  open  mouths  and  bloodshot  eyes 
were  within  five  yards,  I  pulled  the  trigger.  The 
gun  missed  fire  with  the  first  barrel.  The  second 
barrel  luckily  went  ofi",  scattering  the  brains  of  the 
nearest  dog,  the  whole  charge  having  entered  his 
mouth,  and  gone  through  the  palate  into  his  brain. 
This  occurrence  seemed  to  check  the  advance  of  the 
second  brute,  who,  while  hesitating  for  a  moment 
before  coming  at  me,  received  a  ball  in  his  side  from 
one  of  my  sailors,  who  fortunately  had  observed  what 
was  going  on  and  had  come  to  my  rescue.  Without 
waiting  an  instant  to  see  what  had  become  of  the 
man  who  had  played  me  this  murderous  trick,  I 
called  my  men  together,  launched  the  boats,  and  put 
out  to  sea. 

By  this  time  the  sea-breeze  had  set  in,  and  I 
could  see  the  vessel  I  had  been  watching,  though 
still  a  considerable  distance  from  the  shore,  was 
trimming  her  sails  to  the  sea-breeze,  and  steering 
straight  in  for  the  very  spot  where  I  had  been 
concealed.  Signal  after  signal  was  made  to  her  by 
her  friends  on  the  shore,  in  the  shape  of  lighted  fires 
(not  much  avail  in  the  daytime)  and  the  hoisting  of 
flags,  &c.,  but  she  seemed  utterly  to  disregard  the 
action  of  her  friends.     Satisfied,  I  imagine,  that  she 


56  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

had  all  but  finished  her  voyage,  seeing  no  cruiser  and 
unsuspicious  of  boats,  on  she  came.* 

We  got  almost  alongside  of  her  before  the  people 
on  board  seemed  to  see  us.  When  she  did,  evidently 
taken  by  surprise,  she  put  her  helm  down,  and 
throwing  all  her  sails  aback,  snapped  some  of  her 
lighter  spars,  thus  throwing  everything  into  confu- 
sion— confusion  made  worse  by  the  fact  that,  with 
the  view  of  immediate  landing,  two  hundred  or  three 
hundred  of  the  niggers  had  been  freed  from  their 
confinement  and  were  crowded  on  the  deck.  Taking 
advantage  of  this  state  of  things  we  made  our  capture 
without  a  shot  being  fired. 

In  fact  everything  was  done,  as  sailors  say,'  before 
you  could  look  round  you,'  the  man  at  the  helm  re- 
placed by  one  of  my  men,  the  crew  bundled  down 
into  the  slave-hold  to  give  them  a  taste  of  its  horrors, 
and  the  sails  trimmed  for  seaward  instead  of  towards 
the  land.  The  captain,  who  seemed  a  decent  fellow, 
cried  like  a  child.  He  said :  *  If  I  had  seen  you 
five  minutes  before  you  would  never  have  taken  me. 
Now  I  am  ruined.'  I  consoled  him  as  well  as  I 
could  and  treated  him  well,  as  he  really  seemed  half 

'  It  must  be  understood  that  both  men  and  boats  were  dis- 
guised so  as  to  resemble  the  ordinary  fishing  coasters  about  those 
parts. 


SLAVER  HUNTING  57 

a  gentleman,  if  not  entirely  one,  I  found  about 
six  hundred  slaves,  men  and  women  and  cliildren,  on 
board  this  vessel,  who  as  they  had  made  a  very  rapid 
and  prosperous  voyage,  were  in  a  somewhat  better 
state  than  those  on  board  the  last  capture.  Still 
goodness  knows  their  state  was  disgusting  enough. 
Ophthalmia  had  got  a  terrible  hold  of  the  poor 
wretches.  In  many  of  the  cases  the  patient  was 
stone  blind.  I  caught  this  painful  disease  myself, 
and  for  several  days  couldn't  see  a  yard. 

Shortly  after,  having  despatched  our  prize  into 
Rio  in  charge  of  a  brother  midshipman,  we  were 
joined  by  another  man-of-war  cruiser,  which  had 
been  sent  to  assist  us  in  our  work.  As  the  officer 
in  command  of  this  vessel  was  of  senior  rank  to 
my  commander,  he  naturally  took  upon  himself  to 
organise  another  boat  expedition,  placing  one  of  his 
own  officers  in  command.  With  this  expedition  I 
was  allowed  to  go,  taking  with  me  my  old  boats  and 
their  crews,  with  orders  to  place  myself  under  the 
direction  of  Lieutenant  A.  C,  the  officer  chosen  by 
the  senior  in  command. 

So  we  started  with  five  boats  provisioned  and 
otherwise  prepared  for  a  cruise  of  twenty  days.  The 
lieutenant  in  charge  did  not  think  it  wise  to  land,  as 
a  bad  feeling  towards  us  was  known  to  exist  among 


58  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

the  inliabitauts,  wlio  were  all  more  or  less  slave- 
dealers,  or  interested  in  the  success  of  the  slave- 
vessels,  so  we  had  to  live  in  our  boats.  Esther  hard 
lines,  sleeping  on  the  boat's  thwarts,  &c.  Still  we 
had  that  '  balm  of  Gilead,'  hope,  to  keep  us  alive,  and 
our  good  spirits.  Many  a  longing  eye  did  I  cast  to 
the  shore,  where,  in  spite  of  the  bloodhounds,  I  should 
like  to  have  stretched  my  cramped  limbs.  Ten  or 
twelve  days  passed  in  dodging  about,  doing  nothing 
but  keeping  a  good  look-out,  and  we  almost  began  to 
despair,  when  one  fine  morning  we  saw  a  large  brig, 
evidently  a  slaver,  running  in  towards  the  shore  with 
a  fresh  breeze.  Our  boats  were  painted  like  fishing 
boats,  and  our  men  disguised  as  fishermen,  as  usual ; 
so,  apparently  occupied  with  our  pretended  business, 
we  gradually  approached  the  slave  vessel.  My  orders 
were  strictly  to  follow  the  movements  or  action  of  my 
superior.  Then  I  witnessed  a  gallant  act,  such  as  I 
have  not  seen  surpassed  during  forty  years  of  active 
service  that  I  have  gone  through  since  that  time. 
Lieutenant  A.  C,  who  was  in  the  leading  boat,  a  large 
twelve-oared  cutter,  edged  pretty  near  to  the  advanc- 
ing vessel,  and  when  quite  close  under  her  bows  one 
man  seemed  to  me  to  spring  like  a  chamois  on 
board.  I  saw  the  boat  from  which  the  man  jumped 
make  an  ineffectual  attempt  to   get  alongside  the 


SLAVER  HUNTING  59 

vessel,  that  was  going  at  the  rate  of  six  miles  an 
hour,  and  then  drop  astern.  I  heard  a  pistol  shot, 
and  suddenly  the  vessel  was  thrown  up  in  the  wind 
with  all  her  sails  aback,  thus  entirely  stopping  her 
way  (sailors  will  understand  this).  Not  knowing 
precisely  what  had  happened,  we  pulled  like  maniacs 
alongside  of  the  slaver.  To  do  this  was,  now  that 
the  vessel's  way  was  stopped,  comparatively  easy. 
We  dashed  on  board,  and  after  a  slight  resistance 
on  the  part  of  the  slaver's  crew,  in  which  two  or 
three  more  men,  myself  among  the  number,  were 
wounded,  we  took  possession  of  the  brig.  There  we 
found  our  lieutenant  standing  calmly  at  the  helm, 
which  was  a  long  wooden  tiller.  He  it  was  who  had 
jumped  on  board  alone,  shot  the  man  at  the  helm, 
put  the  said  helm  down  with  his  leg,  while  in  his 
hand  he  held  his  other  pistol,  with  which  he  threat- 
ened to  shoot  any  one  who  dared  to  touch  him. 

I  fancy  that  his  cool  pluck  had  caused  a  panic 
among  the  undisciplined  crew,  a  panic  that  our  rapid 
approach  tended  much  to  increase.  What  astonished 
me  was  that  nobody  on  board  thought  of  shooting 
him  before  he  got  to  the  helm,  in  which  case  we 
never  could  have  got  on  board  the  vessel,  considering 
the  speed  she  was  going  through  the  water.  What 
he  did  was  a  glorious  piece  of  pluck,  that  in  these 


6o  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

days  would  have  been  rewarded  with  the  Victoria 
Cross  as  the  least  recompense  they  could  have  given 
to  so  gallant  an  officer.  Poor  fellow !  all  the  reward 
he  got,  beyond  the  intense  admiration  of  those  who 
saw  him,  was  a  bad  attack  of  small-pox  from  the 
diseased  animals  (there  is  no  other  name  for  negroes 
in  the  state  they  were  in)  on  board  the  slave  vessel, 
which  somewhat  injured  the  face  of  one  of  the  hand- 
somest men  I  ever  saw.  He  is  now  an  admiral,  has 
done  many  gallant  acts  since  then,  but  none  could 
beat  what  he  did  on  that  memorable  morning. 

I  have  said  that  I  was  among  those  who  were 
wounded  on  this  occasion.  What  my  friend  A.  C. 
did  so  far  outshone  anything  that  I  had  accom- 
plished, that  it  is  hardly  worth  while  speaking  of  my 
share  in  the  fray.  However,  as  I  am  writing  sketches 
from  my  life,  I  will  not  omit  to  describe  the  way  in 
which  I  was  wounded.  We  were,  as  I  have  said, 
making  a  rush  to  assist  our  gallant  leader,  who  was 
alone  on  board  the  slaver.  The  reader  will  have 
seen  that  our  business  was  boarding  and  fighting  our 
enemy  hand  to  hand.  As  I  was  making  a  jump  on 
board  I  saw  the  white  of  the  eyQ  of  a  great  black 
man  turned  on  me ;  he  brandished  a  huge  axe,  which 
I  had  a  sort  of  presentiment  was  intended  for  me. 
I  sprang  as  it  were  straight  at  my  destiny,  for  as 


SLAVER  HUNTING  6l 

I  grasped  the  gunnel  down  came  the  axe,  and  I 
received  the  full  edge  of  the  beastly  thing  across  the 
back  of  my  hand.  I  fell  into  the  water,  but  was 
picked  up  by  my  sailors,  and  managed  to  get  on 
board  again.  Had  it  not  been  for  a  clever  young 
assistant  surgeon,  who  bound  up  the  wound  in  a  most 
scientific  manner,  I  should  probably  have  quite  lost 
the  use  of  my  hand ;  the  mark  remains  across  my 
knuckles  to  this  day. 


62  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 


CHAPTER   VII. 

LOVE    AND     MURDEE. 

I  WAS  once  sent  from  Rio  to  Demerara,  an  English 
colony  on  tlie  coast  of  Brazil,  with  a  cargo  of  blacks 
that  we  had  freed.  Then  it  was  that  I  had  a  good 
opportunity  of  studying  the  character  of  these  people 
certainly  in  their  primitive  state,  and  if  ever  men 
and  women  resembled  wild  animals  it  was  my  swarthy 
charges.  When  I  arrived  at  Demerara  I  handed 
them  over  to  their  new  masters,  to  whom  they  were 
apprenticed  for  seven  years,  and  from  all  I  can  under- 
stand they  were,  during  their  apprenticeship,  treated 
pretty  much  as  slaves  in  every  respect. 

During  the  time  I  visited  Demerara  (and  I  fancy  it 
is  very  slightly  changed  now)  it  was  one  of  the  vilest 
holes  in  creation.  It  is  built  on  a  low  sandy  point 
of  land  at  the  entrance  of  a  great  river,  and  is  almost 
the  hottest  place  on  the  earth.  Mosquitos  in  thou- 
sands of  millions ;  nothing  for  the  natives  to  do  but 


LOVE  AND  MURDER  63 

to  cultivate  sugar-canes  and  to  perspire.  There  were 
two'  crack  regiments  quartered  at  Demerara,  who, 
having  to  withstand  the  dreadful  monotony  of  doing 
nothing,  took  I  fear  to  living  rather  too  well ;  the 
consequence  was  that  many  a  fine  fellow  had  been 
carried  off  by  yellow  fever.  For  my  part,  I  took  a 
rather  high  flight  in  the  way  of  pastime  by  falling 
(as  I  imagined)  desperately  in  love  with  the 
governor's  daughter.  The  governor,  I  must  tell  my 
readers,  was  a  very  great  swell,  a  general,  a  K.C.B., 
&c.,  and  his  daughter  was  a  mighty  pretty  girl, 
much  run  after  by  the  garrison ;  so  it  was  thought 
great  impertinence  on  my  part,  as  a  humble  sub- 
lieutenant, to  presume  to  make  love  to  the  reigning, 
if  not  the  only,  beauty  in  the  place. 

However^  audacity  carried  me  on,  and  I  soon 
became  No.  1  in  the  young  lady's  estimation.  I 
used  to  ride  with  her,  spent  the  evenings  in  the 
balcony  of  Government  House  with  her,  sent  her 
flowers  every  morning,  and  so  on,  till  at  last  people 
began  to  talk,  and  steps  were  taken  by  her  numerous 
admirers  to  stop  my  wild  career.  This  was  done  in 
a  somewhat  startling  way  (premeditated,  as  I  found 
out  afterwards).  One  evening  I  was  playing  at 
whist,  one  of  my  opponents  being  a  momentarily 
discarded  lover  of  my  young  lady  ;  I  thought  he  was 


64  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

looking  very  distrait ;  however,  things  went  off  quietly 
enough  for  some  time,  till  on  some  trifling  question 
arising  concerning  the  rules  of  the  game,  the  young 
man  suddenly  and  quite  gratuitously  insulted  me 
most  grossly,  ending  his  insolent  conduct  by  throw- 
ing his  cards  in  my  face.  This  was  more  than  I 
could  put  up  with,  so  I  called  him  out,  and  the  next 
morning  put  a  ball  into  his  ankle,  which  prevented 
him  dancing  for  a  long  time  to  come.  He,  being  the 
best  dancer  in  the  colony,  was  rather  severely  pun- 
ished ;  it  seems  that  he  had  undertaken  to  bell  the 
cat,  hardly  expecting  such  unpleasant  results. 

On  returning  home  after  the  hostile  meeting  I 
found  a  much  more  formidable  adversary  in  the  shape 
of  the  governor  himself,  who  was  stamping  furiously 
up  and  down  the  verandah  of  my  apartment.  He 
received  me  with,  *  What  the  d — 1  do  you  mean, 
young  sir,  by  making  love  to  my  daughter  ?  you 
are  a  mere  boy.'  (I  was  twenty  and  did  not  relish  his 
remark.)     '  What  means  have  you  got  ? ' 

After  the  old  gentleman's  steam  had  gone  down  a 
little  I  replied,  '  Really,  general,  I  hardly  know  how 
to  answer  you.  Your  daughter  and  I  are  very  good 
friends,  the  place  is  most  detestably  dull,  there  is 
nothing  to  do,  and  if  we  amuse  ourselves  with  a 
littlo  love-making,    surely   there   can    be   no  great 


LOVE  AND  MURDER  65 

harm.'  This  rejoinder  of  mine  made  things  worse ; 
I  thought  the  old  boy  would  have  had  a  fit.  At  last 
he  said,  '  The  mail  steamer  leaves  for  England  to- 
morrow ;  you  shall  go  home  by  her,  I  order  you  to  do 
so ! '  I  replied  that  I  should  please  myself,  and  that 
I  was  not  under  his  orders.  The  general  went  away 
uttering  threats.  After  he  was  gone  I  thought 
seriously  over  the  matter.  I  calculated  that  my  in- 
come of  120L  a  year  would  scarcely  suffice  to  keep 
a  wife,  and  I  decided  to  renounce  my  dream  of  love. 
I  went  to  pay  a  farewell  visit  to  my  young  lady,  but 
found  that  she  was  locked  up,  so  away  I  went  and 
soon  forgot  all  about  it.  Shortly  afterwards  I  heard 
that  the  governor's  daughter  married  the  man  whose 
leg  I  had  lamed  for  his  impertinence  to  me. 

My  last  adventure  while  employed  in  the  suppres- 
sion of  the  slave  trade  is  perhaps  worth  describing. 

By  international  law  it  was  ruled  that  a  vessel 
on  her  way  to  Africa,  if  fitted  out  in  a  certain  manner, 
whereby  it  was  evident  that  she  was  employed  in  the 
nefarious  traffic  of  slavery,  was  liable  to  capture  and 
condemnation  by  the  mixed  tribunals,  or  in  other 
words  became  the  lawful  prize  of  her  captors. 

While  cruising  off  Pernanibuco  we  boarded  a 
Portuguese  vessel  bound  to  Africa,  so  evidently  fitted 
out  for  the  purpose  of  slave  trade  that  my  captain 
4 


66  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

took  possession  of  her,  and  sent  me  to  convey  her  to 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  for  adjudication.  It  was 
the  usual  thing  to  send  the  captain  of  a  vessel  so 
captured  as  a  prisoner  on  board  his  ship,  so  that  he 
might  be  interrogated  at  the  trial.  In  this  case  the 
master  and  three  of  his  crew  were  sent.  The  prize 
crew  consisted  of  myself  and  six  men.  Now  the 
captain  was  an  exceedingly  gentlemanlike  man,  a 
good  sailor,  and  a  first-rate  navigator. 

At  first  I  treated  him  as  a  prisoner,  but  by 
degrees  he  insinuated  himself  into  my  good  graces  to 
such  an  extent  that  after  a  while  I  invited  him  to 
mess  with  me,  in  fact,  made  a  friend  of  him,  little 
thinking  of  the  serpent  I  was  nourishing. 

For  several  days  all  went  well.  I  was  as  unsus- 
picious as  a  child  of  foul  play.  We  lived  together 
and  worked  our  daily  navigation  together,  played  at 
cards  together,  in  fact  were  quite  chums.  The  three 
men  who  were  supposed  to  be  prisoners  were  allowed 
considerable  liberty,  and  as  they  had,  as  I  found  out 
afterwards,  a  private  stock  of  grog  stowed  away 
somewhere,  which  they  occasionally  produced  and 
gave  to  my  men,  they  managed  to  be  pretty  free  to  do 
as  they  wished.  For  all  that,  I  ordered  that  the  three 
prisoners  should  be  confined  below  during  the  night. 

As  the  weather  was  very  hot  I  always  slept  in 


LOVE  AND  MURDER  67 

a  little  place  on  deck  called  a  bunk,  a  thing  more 
like  a  dog-kennel  than  aught  else  I  can  compare  it 
to,  excepting  that  the  hole  for  entrance  and  exit 
was  somewhat  larger  than  that  generally  used  for  the 
canine  species. 

I  always  slept  with  a  pistol  (revolvers  were  un- 
known in  those  days)  under  my  pillow.  Luckily  for 
me  that  I  did  so,  as  the  result  will  show. 

I  had  remarked  (this  I  thought  of  afterwards) 
that  the  prisoner  captain  and  some  of  his  men  had 
been  whispering  together  a  good  deal  lately  ;  but  not 
being  in  the  slightest  degree  suspicious  I  thought 
nothing  of  it. 

One  evening  I  retired  to  my  sleeping  place  as 
usual,  after  having  passed  a  pleasant  chatty  evening 
with  my  prisoner.  I  was  settling  myself  to  sleep,  in 
fact  I  think  I  was  asleep  as  far  as  it  would  be  called 
so,  for  I  had  from  habit  the  custom  of  sleeping  with 
one  eye  open,  when  I  saw  ot  felt  the  flash  of  a  knife 
over  my  head.  The  entrance  to  my  couch  was  very 
limited,  so  that  my  would-be  murderer  had  some 
difficulty  in  striking  the  fatal  blow.  Instinct  at  once 
showed  me  my  danger. 

To  draw  my  pistol  from  under  my  pillow  was  the 
work  of  a  second;  to  fire  it  into  the  body  of  the 
man  who  was  trying  to  stab  me,  that  of  another.     A 


68  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

groan  and  a  heavy  fall  on  the  deck  told  me  what  had 
happened,  and  springing  out  of  my  sleeping  berth  I 
found  my  ci-devant  friend  the  captain  lying  on  his 
face,  dead  as  a  door  nail.  In  the  meantime  I  heard 
a  row  in  the  fore-part  of  the  ship.  On  going  for- 
ward I  saw  one  of  the  prisoners  in  the  act  of  falling 
overboard,  and  another  extended  full  length  on  the 
deck,  while  my  stalwart  quarter-master  was  flourish- 
ing a.  handspike  with  which  he  had  knocked  one 
of  his  assailants  overboard  and  floored  the  other. 
Now  it  will  be  asked  what  was  the  man  at  the  wheel 
doing  ?  Hereby  hangs  a  tale.  He  swore  that  he 
heard  or  saw  nothing.  Considering  this  sufficient 
evidence  of  his  guilt,  I  put  him  in  irons.  Shortly 
afterwards  he  confessed  the  whole  story.  It  seems 
that  a  conspiracy  had  been  planned  among  the 
prisoners  to  retake  the  ship — that  the  man  at  the 
wheel  had  been  bribed  to  let  free  two  of  the  prisoners, 
under  promise  of  a  large  reward  if  the  result  had 
been  the  retaking  of  the  ship. 

The  only  provision  he  made  was  that  he  was  to 
take  no  murderous  action  against  his  countrymen. 
The  mau  at  the  helm  and  the  quarter-master  being 
the  only  men  on  deck,  and  I  being  gone  to  roost, 
all  seemed  easy  enough,  but  Providence  willed  it 
otherwise. 


LOVE  AND  MURDER  69 

I  buried  the  captain  in  the  sea  without  further 
ceremony ;  the  man  who  fell  overboard  I  suppose 
was  drowned  (I  did  not  try  to  pick  him  up) ;  the 
man  knocked  down  was  put  in  irons,  and  all  went 
smoothly  for  the  rest  of  the  voyage ;  but  when  I 
arrived  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  without  the 
captain,  the  lawyers  who  defended  the  ship  wanted 
to  make  out  that  I  had  murdered  him,  and  I  was 
veiy  nearly  sent  to  prison  on  the  charge  of  murder. 

In  the  above  pages  I  have  endeavoured  to  give 
some  notion  of  what  used  to  go  on  in  old  times 
when  there  were  no  steam  launches,  and  when,  I  may 
be  forgiven  for  saying  it,  sailors  were  in  every  sense 
of  the  word  sailors. 

I  could  recount  many  more  adventures  somewhat 
similar  to  those  I  have  described,  but  I  do  not  wish 
to  bore  my  readers  or  appear  egotistical  in  their  eyes. 
The  only  comparison  I  would  make  in  regard  to  our 
doings  in  those  days  is  with  the  work  done  by  the 
blockading  squadron  during  the  civil  war  in  America ; 
for  if  ever  men  required  plucky  endurance  and  self- 
denial  it  was  the  poor  fellows  who  had  to  keep,  or 
endeavour  to  keep,  blockade-runners  if  not  slavers 
from  communicating  with  the  stormy  shores  of 
Florida  and  South  Carolina.  They  are  too  modest 
now  to  tell  us  what  they  went  through.     Perhaps 


70  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

forty  years  hence  they  will  do  as  I  am  doing,  and 
recount  some  of  their  adventures,  which  I  am  con- 
vinced would  quite  put  into  the  shade  anything  I  or 
my  boat's  crew  ever  did. 

I  do  not  wish  to  be  mistaken  in  my  remarks 
about  the  black  race.  I  will  not  venture  to  give  an 
opinion  as  to  what  Providence  meant  to  be  done  with 
those  interesting  creatures.  I  only  assert,  and  this  I 
do  from  my  own  personal  experience,  that  a  black  man 
is  a  happier  and  wiser  man  in  America  than  he  is  in 
his  own  wretched  country,  North  and  South. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE    queen's    yacht. 

I  RETURNED  from  tlie  Cape  to  England.  On  arriving 
there  I  was  appointed  to  the  Queen's  yacht,  as  a 
reward  for  what  their  lordships  at  the  Admiralty 
were  good  enough  to  designate  my  active  and 
zealous  services  while  employed  in  suppression  of  the 
slave  trade. 

To  be  appointed  to  Her  Majesty's  yacht  was  in 
those  days  considered  a  very  great  distinction.  Even 
now  the  Queen  invariably  chooses  officers  who  have 
seen  what  is  called  '  service.'  Such  an  appointment, 
apart  from  the  honour  of  being  so  near  Her  Majesty, 
always  tends  to  rapid  promotion. 

The  Queen  at  the  time  I  write  of  was  very  fond 
of  cruising  in  her  yacht,  paying  visits  to  foreign 
potentates,  &c.  Her  Majesty  had  been  then  five 
years  married,  with  a  young  family  springing  up 
around   her,  and  her   beloved  husband,  the  Prince 


72  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

Consort  always  with  her,  participating  in  all  her 
pleasures  ;  so  we,  the  officers  of  the  Eoyal  yacht,  had 
a  rare  time  of  it,  were  made  a  lot  of  wherever  we 
went,  and  thought  ourselves  very  great  men  indeed. 
Amongst  other  trips,  we  conveyed  the  Royal  family 
up  the  Rhine,  where  Her  Majesty  visited  the  King 
of  Prussia  at  Stolzenfels. 

Afterwards  we  went  to  the  Chateau  d'Eu,  where 
Her  Majesty  was  received  by  King  Louis  Philippe 
and  the  Reine  Amelie. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  condescending  kindness 
of  Her  Majesty  and  Prince  Albert  to  all  on  board 
the  Royal  yacht.  As  to  the  Prince  Consort,  he  treated 
the  officers  more  in  the  light  of  companions  than 
subordinates,  alw.iys  ready  to  join  us  in  a  cigar  and 
its  accompanying  friendly  conversation. 

Apropos  of  smoking,  I  cannot  refrain  from  men- 
tioning a  little  incident  that  happened  on  board  the 
*  Victoria  and  Albert,'  that  I,  for  one,  shall  never 
forget.  Her  Gracious  Majesty  never  approved  of 
smoking,  and  it  was  only  through  the  kind  consider- 
ation of  the  Prince  Consort  that  we  were  allowed  to 
indulge  in  an  occasional  cigar  in  the  cow-house.  The 
cow-house  was  a  little  place  fitted  up  for  two  pretty 
small  Alderney  cows,  kept  specially  for  supplying 
milk  and  butter  for  the  Royal  table. 


THE  QUEEN'S    YACHT  73 

Her  Majesty  waa  very  fond  of  these  animals  and 
had  the  habit  of  visiting  them  every  day,  and  the 
young  Princes  used  to  be  held  up  to  look  in  at  the 
window,  out  of  which  there  was  room  for  the  favoured 
cows  to  stretch  their  heads.  One  evening  we  were 
smoking  as  usual  when  I  espied  a  pot  of  blue  paint 
on  the  deck  of  the  cow-house,  with,  as  bad  luck 
would  have  it,  a  brush  in  the  pot.  I  cannot  say 
what  induced  me,  but  I  deliberately  took  the  brush 
and  painted  the  tips  of  the  noses  and  the  horns  of 
both  animals  a  pretty  light  blue.  Having  done  this 
I  thought  no  more  of  the  matter.  The  next  morning 
Her  Majesty — well,  I  think  I  had  better  say  no  more 
about  it.  I,  the  culprit,  was  denounced  and  had  to 
keep  out  of  the  way  for  a  day  or  two.  Then  it  was 
that  the  good-natured  Prince  proved  himself  a  friend, 
and  got  me  out  of  my  scrape. 

I  passed  two  of  the  happiest  years  of  my  life  in 
the  Queen's  yacht,  after  which  I  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  lieutenant,  and  appointed  to  a  ship  in  the 
Mediterranean,  where  I  passed  for  several  years  the 
usual  humdrum  life  of  a  naval  officer  during  times  of 
profound  peace. 

However,  while  serving  as  a  lieutenant  in  the 
Mediterranean,  I  had  the  advantage  of  taking  part 
in  one  of  the  most  interesting  political  events  of  the 


74  ^      SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

century,  namely,  the  flight  of  Pius  IX.  from  Rome. 
The  ship  I  was  in  was  stationed  at  Civita  Vecchia, 
the  sea-port  of  Rome,  partly  in  order  to  protect  Brit- 
ish interests — that  is,  the  persons  and  properties  of 
British  subjects — partly  with  the  object  of  taking 
that  half-hearted  part  in  religious  politics  which  has 
always  been  such  a  humiliating  role  for  England. 

We  had  an  accredited  agent,  a  nondescript  sort 
of  person,  representing  England  at  the  court  of  Pope 
Pius  IX.  This  gentleman's  duty  was  to  watch  and 
report,  but  not  to  act.  It  was  through  him  that  Eng- 
land's idea  of  the  policy  to  be  pursued  by  the  Pope  was 
conveyed.  We  did  not,  and  we  did,  want  to  interfere. 
The  question  of  the  balance  of  power  of  Italy  as  an 
independent  nation  was  too  important  to  neglect ;  it 
was  impossible  to  separate  altogether  religion  and 
politics.  However,  at  the  time  I  write  of  things  were 
rushing  to  a  crisis. 

The  Pope,  who  a  short  time  previously  had  been 
considered  the  great  supporter  of  liberty,  was  now 
looked  upon  as  its  enemy.  Garibaldi  was,  in  a  mad 
sort  of  way,  fighting  in  its  cause — at  least,  he  pro- 
fessed to  do  so.  He  had  marched  with  a  band  of 
howling  volunteers  to  the  gates  of  Rome,  and  esta- 
blished himself  there  as  its  conqueror,  virtually  making 
the  Pope  a  prisoner  in  the  Vatican.   In  the  meantime 


THE  MEDITERRANEAN  75 

France  interfered  in  the  Pope's  cause,  and  sent 
General  Oudinot  with  a  small  army  to  dislodge 
Garibaldi.  England's  doubtful  diplomatic  relations 
made  it  necessary  to  choose  every  sort  of  means  of 
communicating  with  the  Pope,  and  I  had  the  honour 
on  more  than  one  occasion  of  being  the  messenger 
chosen  to  communicate,  not  only  with  His  Holiness, 
but  between  Garibaldi  and  the  French  commander. 
On  the  first  occasion  I  was  sent  to  Rome  with  des- 
patches from  Lord  Palmerston  to  be  delivered  (so 
said  my  orders)  into  the  Pope's  own  hands. 

On  my  arrival  at  Rome  I  went  straight  to  the 
Quirinal  and  asked  to  see  Cardinal  Antonelli.  When 
I  informed  him  of  my  instructions,  he  said  at  once, 
'  You  may  give  your  despatches  to  me ;  you  cannot 
expect  to  see  His  Holiness.'  'No,  sir;  to  the  Pope 
I  will  give  my  despatches,  or  take  them  back  again,' 
and  from  this  decision  no  persuasions  or  threats 
would  move  me.  Finding  me  obstinate  the  Cardinal 
at  last  took  me  with  him  into  a  room  where  the  Pope 
was  sitting.  His  Holiness  seemed  in  a  great  state 
of  anxiety,  but  was  most  kind  and  condescending. 
He  gave  me  his  hand  to  kiss,  and  congratulated 
me  on  having  been  so  firm  in  obeying  orders  in 
relation  to  my  despatches.  I  afterwards  found 
that    these   despatches    influenced   very  much  the 


76  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

important  step  taken  by  Pio  Nono  a  few  days  after- 
wards. 

Subsequently  I  several  times  conveyed  communi- 
cations between  General  Garibaldi  and  General 
Oudinot.  The  former  had  most  pluckily  taken  pos- 
session of  an  important  position  inside  the  walls  of 
Rome,  and  it  was  a  hard  piece  of  work  to  dislodge 
him. 

I  used  to  gallop  in  between  General  Oudinot's 
camp  and  Garibaldi's  head-quarters,  having  on  my 
arm  a  red  scarf  for  a  sign  that  I  was  not  a  belligerent. 
My  scarf  was  not  much  use,  however,  as  I  was  gene- 
rally fired  at  all  the  time  that  I  was  passing  the 
space  between  the  French  camp  and  Garibaldi's  head- 
quarters in  Rome. 

I  was  amused  by  the  audacity  with  which  Gari- 
baldi resisted  the  French  army.  I  fancy  he  wanted 
to  delay  matters  so  that  the  Pope  should  be  induced 
to  take  the  ill-advised  step  of  leaving  Rome,  and  in 
this  the  republican  general  succeeded.  What  went 
on  in  Rome,  the  way  in  which  the  Pope  escaped,  &c., 
I  am  not  able  to  relate.  All  I  know  is  that  one  fine 
morning  a  simple  carriage  arrived  from  Rome  at 
Civita  Vecchia,  bringing  a  portly  individual  enve- 
loped in  the  large  cloak  of  an  English  coachman, 
and  another  man  in  ordinary  apparel.     They  strolled 


THE  MEDITERRANEAN  77 

clown  to  the  place  of  embarkation,  and  went  quietly 
on  board,  not  (as  was  expected)  the  English  man-of- 
war,  but  a  French  vessel-of-war  which  was  lying  with 
her  steam  up. 

This  vessel  then  left  the  harbour,  almost  un- 
noticed, and  it  was  not  for  hours  afterwards  that  we 
heard  that  His  Holiness  Pius  IX.  was  the  humble- 
looking  person  who  had  embarked  before  our  eyes, 
and  thus  got  away  safely  to  Gaeta. 


78  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 


CHAPTER  IX. 

INTHEBALTIC. 

In  1854  tlie  war  (commonly  called  the  Crimean  war) 

broke  out,  and  I  was  appointed  first  lieutenant  of 

H.M.S. for  service  in  tlie  Baltic. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  excitement  among  us  all 

when,  after   so  many  years  of  inactivity,  we  were 

called  upon  to  defend  the  honour  of  our  country. 

Unfortunately  for  old  England  the  Baltic  fleet  was 

put  under  the  command  of  Sir  C.  N ,  '  fighting 

old  Charley'  as  he  was  called,  though  it  was  not  long 

before  we  discovered  that  there  was  not  much  fight 

left  in  him.    It  might  well  be  said  by  those  generously 

inclined  towards  him,  in  the  words  of  the  old  song, 

that  the 

'  Bullets  and  the  gout 
Had  so  knocked  his  hull  about, 
Tliat  he'd  never  more  be  fit  for  sea.' 

A  finer  fleet  never  sailed  or  steamed  from  Spit- 
head  than  that  destined  for  the  Baltic  in  1854.     The 


IN  THE  BALTIC  79 

signal  from  its  commander,  '  Lads,  war  is  declared ! 
Sharpen  your  cutlasses  and  the  day  's  your  own,'  sent 
a  thrill  of  joy  through  every  breast.  After  following 
the  melting  ice  up  the  Baltic  Sea  to  within  almost 
reach  of  the  guns  of  Cronstadt,  we  waited  till  the 
ice  had  disappeared,  and  then  went  in  as  we  thought 
for  the  attack. 

The  ship  to  which  I  belonged  being  a  steamer, 
and  drawing  much  less  water  than  the  line-of-battle 
ships,  led  the  way.  A  grander  sight  could  not  be 
conceived  than  that  of  twenty  splendid  line-of- 
battle  ships,  formed  in  two  lines,  steaming  straight 
up  to  the  frowning  batteries  of  Cronstadt.  On  our 
approaching  the  batteries  a  shot  was  fired,  and  fell 
alongside  the  ship  I  was  in,  which,  as  I  said,  was 
leading  for  the  purpose  of  sounding,  when,  to  our 
astonishment  and  disgust,  the  signal  was  made  from 
the  flag-ship  to  the  fleet  '  Stop !'  and  immediately 
afterwards  to  '  anchor.' 

It  is  not  for  me  to  say  the  reason '  why.'  All  that 
I  can  vouch  for  is  that,  in  the  general  opinion  of 
competent  judges,  had  we  gone  on  we  could  have 
taken  or  destroyed  Cronstadt,  instead  of  which — 
what  was  done  ?  They  sent  to  England  for  special 
boats  to  be  made  ready  for  the  next  summer,  when  the 
attack  would  be  made  on  Cronstadt. 


8o  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

We  remained  a  few  days  at  anchor  off  that  place, 
when  some  half  of  the  fleet  were  detached  to  the 
Aland  Islands,  where  an  insignificant  fort  called  Bom- 
arsund  was  to  be  attacked— not  by  the  English  and 
French  fleets,  who  were  fit  to  do  any  mortal  thing, 
but  by  an  army  fetched  from  France.  When  the  army 
came,  the  poor  little  fort  attacked  by  the  fleet  on 
the  seaside,  and  on  the  shore  by  the  soldiers,  after 
firing  a  few  shots  surrendered.      During  the  attack 

I  was  appointed  acting  commander  of  H.M.S. , 

and  was  mentioned  honourably  in  despatches. 

Many  promotions  were  made  for  the  taking  of 
Bomarsund,  but  I  fancy  I  had  as  usual  given  my 
opinion  too  freely,  as  I  was  left  out  in  the  cold.  I 
shall  never  forget  old  Charley's  answer  to  me  when  I 
applied  for  my  promotion,  it  was  so  worthy  of  him. 
He  said,  '  Don't  ye  come  crying  to  me,  Sir ;  you  are  a 
lord's  son  :  I'll  have  nothing  to  do  wi'  ye.' 

Immediately  after  the  capture  of  Bomarsund,  the 
Admiral  detached  a  small  squadron  under  Captain 

S to  reconnoitre  the  Russian  port  of  Abo.     Of 

that  squadron  tbe  vessel  of  which  I  was  commander 
formed  one.  We  left  with  sealed  orders,  which  were 
not  to  be  opened  until  we  arrived  at,  or  near  to,  our 
destination. 

On  sighting  the  enemy's  port  we  perceived  that 


IN  THE  BALTIC  8i 

every  preparation  was  being  made  to  give  us  a  warm 
reception.  A  council  of  war  was  held  on  board 
the  senior  officer's  ship,  at  which  council  the  sealed 
orders  were  opened,  when  to  our  disgust  it  was 
found  within  that  we  were  ordered  '  not  to  fight, 
merely  to  reconnoitre.' 

Sickening  humiliation !  There  were  the  Russian 
gunboats  inside  the  bar  of  the  harbour  of  Abo,  firing 
at  us  with  all  their  might.  The  forts  on  the  heights, 
such  as  they  were,  very  insignificant  temporary  bat- 
teries of  field-pieces,  had  commenced  to  get  the  range 
of  the  ships ;  but  as  we  were  not  to  fight,  we  took  a 
sulky  shot  or  two  at  the  enemy  and  retired. 

To  this  day  I  cannot  understand  the  policy  that 
actuated  this  weak,  vacillating  conduct  on  the  part  of 
our  chief.  But  some  idea  may  be  given  of  his  fight- 
ing notions  by  the  following  occurrence,  of  which  I 
was  a  witness. 

One  morning  despatches  arrived  from  England. 
A  signal  was  made  from  the  flag-ship  for  command- 
ing officers  to  repair  on  board  that  vessel.  On  our 
arrival  there,  we  were  asked  to  sit  down  to  break- 
fast. Our  chief,  who  was  opening  his  letters,  suddenly 
threw  a  despatch  over  the  table  to  S ,  the  ad- 
miral of  the  fleet,  saying,  '  What  would  ye  do,  mun, 
if  ye  received  a  letter  like  this  ? '      S ,  after 


82  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

reading  tlie  letter  said,  *  If  I  received  a  letter  like 
that,  I'd  attack  Revel  or  Sveaborg  if  I  lost  half  my 
fleet.'     Our  chiefs  answer  I  shall  never  forget.     It 

was  :  '  I  haven't  got  nerve  to  do  it,  and  I'm  d d 

well  sure  C hasn't.'  There  are  many  living  be- 
sides myself  who  can  vouch  for  the  accuracy  of  this 
statement. 

I  shall  say  no  more  of  the  doings  of  the  English 
fleet  in  the  Baltic  during  that  year.  Suffice  it,  that 
if  ever  open  mutiny  was  displayed — not  by  the  crews 
of  the  ships,  but  by  many  of  the  captains,  men  who 
attained  the  highest  rank  in  their  profession — it 
was  during  the  cruise  in  the  Baltic  in  1854 :  and  no 
wonder. 

Many  gallant  deeds  were  performed  by  single 
ships,  but  the  fleet  did  absolutely  nothing,  except 
help  to  capture  Bomarsund.  I  returned  to  England 
disgusted  and  disheartened.  The  next  year  the 
commander-in-chief  was  changed ;  I  was  appointed 
to  his  ship,  and  we  went  again  to  the  Baltic,  taking 
with  us  all  the  necessary  appurtenances  for  bombard- 
ing forts  and  attacking  the  enemy's  coast. 

As  soon  as  the  melting  of  the  ice  permitted  we 
arrived  ofi"  Cronstadt,  and  found  that  the  Russians 
had  not  been  asleep  during  our  absence  for  the  winter 
months ;   for   they  had  defended  the  approaches  to 


IN  THE  BALTIC  83 

that  place  to  such  an  extent,  that  an  attack  was  con- 
sidered (and  on  this  occasion  there  was  no  difference 
of  opinion)  most  unadvisable.  So  we  fell  back  on 
Sveaborg,  which  place  was  bombarded  by  the  com- 
bined fleets,  I  venture  to  think  most  successfully,  and 
I  believe,  had  we  had  a  force  to  land,  we  could  have 
taken  possession  of  that  large  and  important  fortress. 

Our  losses  during  the  operation  were  small  on 
board  the  squadron  of  mortar-boats  which  I  had  the 
good  luck  to  command — some  fifty-eight  men  hors 
de  combat. 

In  this  service  I  received  my  promotion  to  the 
rank  of  commander,  and  returned  to  England. 

Peace  was  made  between  Russia  and  England, 
previous  to  which,  however,  I  was  appointed  to  a 
vessel  in  the  Mediterranean  which  formed  part  of  the 
fleet  ofif  Sebastopol.  Unfortunately,  I  arrived  too  late 
to  see  much  active  service  there. 

"While  serving  as  a  commander  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean, I  was  principally  under  the  command  of  Sir 

Wm.  M ,  a  man  whose  reputation  as  being  the 

smartest  oflicer  in  the  navy,  I  must  venture  to  say, 
I  think  was  greatly  exaggerated,  though  he  was 
doubtless  what  is  called  a  '  smart  officer.' 

His  idea  was  to  rule  with  a  rod  of  iron,  and  never 
to  encourage  anyone  by  praising  zealous  and  active 


84  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

service.  He  used  to  say,  '  I  am  here  to  find  fault 
with,  not  to  praise,  officers  tinder  my  command.*  So 
many  a  fine  fellow's  zeal  was  damped  by  knowing 
that  no  encouragement  would  follow  in  the  way  of 
appreciation  from  his  chief,  however  much  he  might 
have  merited  it. 

I  cannot  refrain  from  recounting  a  very  amusing 
incident  that  occurred  in  connection  with  my  com- 
mand of  H.M.S.  JP .  I  may  mention  that,  differ- 
ing as  I  did  most  materially  with  the  system  of 
discipline  followed  by  the  commander-in-chief,  I  was 
no  favourite  of  his. 

One  day,  however,  I  was  somewhat  surprised  at 
being  ordered  to  prepare  for  the  official  inspection  of 

my  ship,  and  by  no  less  a  person  than  Sir  W.  M 

himself.  I  must  mention  that  one  of  the  crotchets 
of  the  chief  was  that  vessels  such  as  mine — namely,  a 
gunboat  of  the  first  class — could  be  floated  off  the 
shore,  in  case  of  their  stranding,  by  water-casks  being 
lashed  round  them.  So  orders  were  given  that  all 
vessels  of  that  class  were  to  lumber  their  decks  with 
water-casks.  I  did  so,  according  to  orders  ;  but,  not 
having  the  least  confidence  in  the  manner  in  which 
the  commander-in-chief  proposed  to  employ  them,  I 
utilised  them,  as  wiU  be  seen  presently,  for  an  entirely 
different  purpose. 


IN  THE  BALTIC  85 

The  day  of  my  ship's  inspection  was  evidently 
not  one  of  my  lucky  days.  To  begin  with,  a  horrid 
little  monkey  belonging  to  the  crew — amusing  himself 
running  about  in  the  hammock-nettings  near  to  the 
gangway  over  which  the  great  man  had  to  pass — 
seeing  something  he  thought  unusual,  made  a  rush 
as  the  commander-in-chief  was  stepping  on  board, 
stooped  down,  and  deliberately  took  the  cocked  hat  off 
his  head,  dropped  it  into  the  sea,  then  started  up  the 
rigging  chattering  with  delight  at  the  mischief  he 
had  done.  The  cocked  hat  was  at  once  recovered, 
wiped  dry,  and  placed  in  its  proper  place.  The 
admiral,  always  stern  as  a  matter  of  principle, 
looked,  after  this  incident,  sterner  than  usual, 
hardly  recognised  me  except  by  a  formal  bow,  then 
proceeded  to  muster  the  officers  and  crew.  This  over, 
he  commenced  to  walk  round  the  deck.  I  remarked 
with  pleasure  his  countenance  change  when  he  saw 
how  neatly  his  pet  water-casks  were  painted  and 
lashed  to  the  inner  gunnel  of  the  ship.  He  said 
quite  graciously,  '  I  am  glad  to  see,  Captain  Hobart, 
that  you  pay  such  attention  to  my  orders.'  I  began 
to  think  I  was  mistaken  in  my  idea  of  the  man  ;  but, 
alas !  for  my  exuberance  of  spirits  and  satisfaction, 
while  the  admiral  was  closely  examining  one  of  his 
pet  casks,  his  face  came  almost  in  contact  with  the 


86  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

opening  of  tte  barrel,  when,  to  his  and  my  horror,  a 
pretty  little  spaniel  put  out  his  head  and  licked  the 
great  man  on  the  nose. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  admiral's  countenance; 
he  turned  blue  with  anger,  drew  himself  up,  ordered 
his  boat  to  be  manned,  and  walked  over  the  side  not 
saying  a  word  to  anyone. 

The  facts  which  led  to  this  untoward  occurrence 
were  that,  seeing  the  necessity  of  having  my  decks 
crowded  with  what  I  considered  useless  lumber,  in 
the  form  of  water-casks,  I  had  utilised  them  by  mak- 
ing them  into  dog-kennels.  The  admiral  hated  dogs, 
hated  sport  of  all  kind,  and,  after  what  occurred,  I 
fancy  hated  me.  Well,  I  didn't  love  him  ;  I  never 
saw  him  again. 

The  very  next  day  I  was  ordered  to  the  coast  of 
Syria :  just  what  I  wanted,  i.e.,  to  be  out  of  the 
commander-in-chiefs  way,  and  to  have  some  good 
shooting. 


CHAPTER  X. 

BLOCKADE-RUNNING. 

On  receiving  my  rank  as  post-captain,  I  found 
myself  shelved,  as  it  were,  for  four  years,  while  waiting 
my  turn  for  a  command.  This  was  according  to  the 
rules  of  the  navy,  so  there  was  no  getting  out  of  it. 
What  was  I  to  do  ?  I  consulted  several  of  my  friends 
who  were  in  a  similar  position,  who,  like  myself,  did 
not  wish  to  remain  idle  so  long,  so  we  looked  about 
us  for  some  enterprise,  as  something  to  do. 

The  upshot  of  it  was  that  we  thought  of  trying  if 
we  could  not  conceive  some  plan  for  breaking  through 
the  much-talked-of  blockade  of  the  Southern  States 
of  America,  then  in  revolt  against  the  government  of 
Washington.  Four  of  us  young  post-captains  took 
this  decision,  and  as  it  would  have  been,  perhaps, 
considered  infra  dig.  for  real  naval  officers  to  engage 
in  such  an  enterprise,  we  lent  our  minds,  if  not  our 
bodies,  to  certain   alter  egos,   whom   we  inspired,  if 


88  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

we  did  not  personally  control,  as  to  their  line  of 
conduct.  My  man  I  will  call  Eoberts,  whose  adven- 
tures I  now  give,  and  in  whose  name  I  shall  write. 
There  are  people  who  insist  that  I  was  Captain 
Roberts;  all  that  such  people  have  to  do  is  to 
prove  I  was  that  '  miscreant,'  whoever  he  may  have 
been.     The  following  is  his  naiTative  : — 

During  the  late  civil  war  in  America  the 
executive  government  undertook  the  blockade  of 
more  than  3,000  miles  of  coast,  and  though  nothing 
could  exceed  the  energy  and  activity  of  the  naval 
officers  so  employed,  the  results  were  very  unsatisfac- 
tory, inasmuch  as  it  was  not  till  absolute  possession 
was  taken  of  the  forts  at  the  entrance  of  the  great 
harbours,  such  as  Charleston,  Mobile,  and  Wilming- 
ton, that  blockade-running  was  stopped. 

I  trust  that  our  American  friends  will  not  be 
too  severe  in  their  censures  on  those  engaged  in 
blockade-running;  for,  I  say  it  with  the  greatest 
respect  for  and  admiration  of  enterprise,  had  they 
been  lookers-on  instead  of  principals  in  the  sad  drama 
that  was  enacted,  they  would  have  been  the  very  men 
to  take  the  lead.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the 
excitement  of  fighting  did  not  exist.  One  was  always 
either  running  away  or  being  deliberately  pitched 
into  by  the  broadsides  of  the  American  cruisers,  the 


BLOCKADE-RUNNING  89 

slightest  resistance  to  which  would  have  constituted 
piracy;  whereas  capture  without  resistance  merely 
entailed  confiscation  of  cargo  and  vessel. 

The  vessel  I  had  charge  of — which  I  had  brought 
out  from  England,  was  one  of  the  finest  double-screw 

steamers  that  had  ever  been  built  by  D n ;  of  400 

tons  burden,  250  horse-power,  180  feet  long,  and  22 
feet  beam — and  was,  so  far  as  sea-going  qualities, 
speed,  &c.,  went,  as  handy  a  little  craft  as  ever  floated. 
Our  crew  consisted  of  a  captain,  three  officers,  three 
engineers,  and  twenty-eight  men,  including  firemen, 
that  is,  ten  seamen  and  eighteen  firemen.  They 
were  all  Englishmen,  and  as  they  received  very  high 
wages,  we  managed  to  have  picked  men.  In  fact, 
the  men-of-war  on  the  West  India  station  found  it  a 
difficult  matter  to  prevent  their  crews  from  deserting, 
so  great  was  the  temptation  oficred  by  the  blockade- 
runners. 

I  will  begin  by  explaining  how  we  prepared  the 
vessel  for  the  work.  This  was  done  by  reducing  her 
spars  to  a  light  pair  of  lower  masts,  without  any 
yards  across  them  ;  the  only  break  in  their  sharp 
outline  being  a  small  crow's-nest  on  the  foremast,  to 
be  used  as  a  look-out  place.  The  hull,  which  showed 
about  eight  feet  above  water,  was  painted  a  dull  grey 
colour  to  render  her  as  nearly  as  possible  invisible  in 


90  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

the  night.  The  boats  were  lowered  square  with  the 
gunnels.  Coal  was  taken  on  board  of  a  smokeless 
nature  (anthracite).  The  funnel,  being  what  is 
called  '  telescope,'  lowered  close  down  to  the  deck.  In 
order  that  no  noise  might  be  made,  steam  was  blown 
off  under  water.  In  fact,  every  ruse  was  resorted  to, 
to  enable  the  vessel  to  evade  the  vigilance  of  the 
American  cruisers,  who  were  scattered  about  in  great 
numbers  all  the  way  between  Bermuda  and  Wilming- 
ton— the  port  at  the  time  I  write  of  most  frequented 
by  blockade-runners.  While  speaking  of  the  precau- 
tions used  I  may  mention  that  among  the  fowls  taken 
on  board  as  provisions,  no  cocks  were  allowed,  for  fear 
of  their  proclaiming  the  whereabouts  of  the  blockade- 
runner.  This  may  seem  ridiculous,  but  it  was  very 
necessary. 

The  distance  from  Bermuda  to  Wilmington  (the 
port  we  were  bound  to)  is  720  miles.  We  stai-ted 
in  the  evening.  For  the  first  twenty-four  hours  we 
saw  nothing  to  alarm  us,  but  at  daylight  the  second 
day  there  was  a  large  American  cruiser  not  half  a 
mile  from  us,  right  ahead,  who,  before  we  could  turn 
round,  steamed  straight  at  us,  and  commenced  firing 
rapidly,  but  very  much  at  random,  the  shot  and 
shell  all  passing  over  or  wide  of  us. 

Fortunately,    according  to   orders  to  have    full 


BLOCKADE-RUNNING  9« 

steam  on  at  daybreak,  we  were  quite  prepared  for  a 
run;  and  still  more  fortunately  a  heavy  squall  of 
wind  and  rain  that  came  on  helped  us  vastly,  as  we 
were  dead  to  windward  of  the  enemy ;  and  having 
no  top-weights  we  soon  dropped  him  astern.  He 
most  foolishly  kept  yawing,  to  fire  his  bow-chasers, 
losing  ground  every  time  he  did  so.  By  eight 
o'clock  we  were  out  of  range — unhit ;  and  by  noon 
out  of  sight  of  anything  but  smoke. 

Luckily,  the  chase  had  not  taken  us  much  off  our 
course,  as  the  consumption  of  coal  during  a  run  of 
this  sort,  with  boilers  all  but  bursting  from  high 
pressure  of  steam,  was  a  most  serious  consideration 
— there  being  no  coal  in  the  Confederate  ports,  where 
wood  was  only  used,  which  would  not  suit  our 
furnaces. 

We  were  now  evidently  in  very  dangerous  waters, 
steamers  being  reported  from  our  mast-head  every 
hour,  and  we  had  to  keep  moving  about  in  all 
directions  to  avoid  them ;  sometimes  stopping  to 
let  one  pass  ahead  of  us,  at  another  time  turning 
completely  round,  and  running  back  on  our  course. 
Luckily,  we  were  never  seen  or  chased.  Night 
came  on,  and  I  had  hoped  that  we  should  have  made 
rapid  progress  till  daybreak  unmolested.  All  was 
quiet  until  about  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  when 


92  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

suddenly,  to  our  dismay,  we  found  a  steamer  close 
alongside  of  us.  How  she  liad  got  there  without 
our  knowledge  is  a  mystery  to  me  even  now.  How- 
ever, there  she  was,  and  we  had  hardly  seen  her 
before  a  stentorian  voice  howled  out,  *  Heave-to  in 
that  steamer,  or  I'll  sink  you.'  It  seemed  as  if  all 
was  over,  but  I  determined  to  try  a  ruse  before 
giving  the  little  craft  up.  So  I  answered,  '  Ay,  ay, 
sir,  we  are  stopped.'  The  cruiser  was  about  eighty 
yards  from  us.  We  heard  orders  given  to  man  and 
arm  the  quarter-boats,  we  saw  the  boats  lowered  into 
the  water,  we  saw  them  coming,  we  heard  the  crews 
laughing  and  cheering  at  the  prospect  of  their  prize. 
The  bowmen  had  just  touched  the  sides  of  our  vessel 
with  their  boat-hooks  when  I  whispered  down  the 
tube  into  the  engine-room,  '  Full  speed  ahead ! '  and 
away  we  shot  into  the  darkness. 

I  don't  know  what  happened;  whether  the  cap- 
tain of  the  man-of-war  thought  that  his  boats  had 
taken  possession,  and  thus  did  not  try  to  stop  us, 
or  whether  he  stopped  to  pick  up  his  boats  in  the 
rather  nasty  sea  that  was  running,  some  one  who 
reads  this  may  know.  All  I  can  say  is,  that  not  a 
shot  was  fired,  and  that  in  less  than  a  minute  the 
pitch  darkness  hid  the  cruiser  from  our  view.  This 
was  a  great  piece  of  luck. 


BLOCKADE-RUNNING  93 

All  the  next  day  we  passed  in  dodging  about, 
avoiding  the  cruisers  as  best  we  could,  but  always 
approaching  our  post. 

During  the  day  we  got  good  observations  with 
which  our  sounding  agreed  ;  and  at  sunset  our  posi- 
tion was  sixty  miles  due  east  of  the  entrance  to 
Wilmington  river,  off  which  place  were  cruising  a 
strong  squadron  of  blockading  ships.  The  American 
blockading  squadron,  which  had  undertaken  the 
almost  impossible  task  of  stopping  all  traffic  along 
3,000  miles  of  coast,  consisted  of  nearly  a  hundred 
vessels  of  different  sorts  and  sizes — hond-fide  men- 
of-war,  captured  blockade-runners,  unemployed  steam- 
packets,  with  many  other  vessels  pressed  into  govern- 
ment service.  Speed  and  sufficient  strength  to  carry 
a  long  gun  were  the  only  requisites,  the  Confederate 
men-of-war  being  few  and  far  between.  These 
vessels  were  generally  well  commanded  and  officered, 
but  badly  manned.  The  inshore  squadron  off  Wil- 
mington consisted  of  about  thirty  vessels,  and  lay  in 
the  form  of  a  crescent  facing  the  entrance  to  Cape 
Clear  river,  the  centre  being  just  out  of  range  of  the 
heavy  guns  mounted  on  Fort  Fisher,  the  horns,  as 
it  were,  gradually  approaching  the  shore  on  each 
side ;  the  whole  line  or  curve  covered  about  ten 
miles. 


94  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

The  blockade-runners  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
trying  to  get  between  the  vessel  at  either  extremity ; 
and  the  coast  being  quite  flat  and  dangerous,  without 
any  landmark,  excepting  here  and  there  a  tree  some- 
what taller  than  others,  the  cruisers  generally  kept 
at  a  sufficient  distance  to  allow  of  this  being  done. 
The  runner  would  then  crawl  close  along  the  shore, 
and  when  as  near  as  could  be  judged  opposite  the 
entrance  of  the  river,  would  show  a  light  on  the 
vessel's  inshore  side,  which  was  answered  by  a  very 
indistinct  light  being  shown  on  the  beach,  close  to 
the  water's  edge,  and  another  at  the  background. 
These  two  lights  being  got  into  a  line  was  a  proof 
that  the  opening  was  arrived  at ;  the  vessels  then 
steered  straight  in  and  anchored  under  the  Con- 
federate batteries  at  Fort  Fisher.  More  vessels  were 
lost  crawling  along  this  dangerous  beach  than  were 
taken  by  the  cruisers.  I  have  seen  three  burning  at 
one  time,  for  the  moment  a  vessel  struck  she  was 
set  fire  to,  to  prevent  the  blockaders  getting  her  oflf 
when  daylight  came. 

This  system  of  evading  the  cruisers,  however, 
having  been  discovered,  it  was  put  a  stop  to  by  a 
very  ingenious  method,  by  which  several  vessels  were 
captured  and  an  end  put  to  that  little  game.  Of 
course  I  can  only  conjecture  the  way  in  which  it  was 


BLOCKADE-RUNNING  95 

done,  but  it  seemed  to  me  to  be  thus:  At  tlie 
extreme  end  of  the  line  of  blockaders  lay  one  of  them 
with  a  kedge  anchor,  down  so  close  to  the  shore  that 
she  left  but  a  very  little  space  for  the  blockade- 
runner  to  pass  between  her  and  the  beach.  The 
captain  of  the  runner,  however,  trusting  to  his 
vessel's  speed  and  invisibility,  dashed  through  this 
space,  and  having  got  by  the  cruiser  thought  himself 
safe.  Poor  fellow !  he  was  safe  for  a  moment,  but  in 
such  a  trap  that  his  only  chance  of  getting  out  of  it 
was  by  running  on  shore  or  giving  up.  For  no  sooner 
had  he  passed  than  up  went  a  rocket  from  the 
cruiser  who  had  seen  the  runner  rush  by,  and  who 
now  moved  a  little  further  in  towards  the  shore,  so 
as  to  stop  her  egress  by  the  way  she  went  in ;  and 
the  other  vessels  closing  round  by  a  pre-arranged 
plan,  the  capture  or  destruction  of  the  blockade- 
runner  was  a  certainty. 

Some  of  the  captains  most  pluckily  ran  their 
vessels  on  shore,  and  frequently  succeeded  in  setting 
fire  to  them;  but  the  boats  of  the  cruisers  were  some- 
times too  sharp  in  their  movements  to  admit  of  this 
being  done,  and  the  treatment  of  those  who  tried  to 
destroy  their  vessels  was,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  very 
barbarous  and  unnecessary.  Moreover,  men  who 
endeavoured  to  escape   by  jumping  overboard  after 


96  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

the  vessel  was  on  shore  were  often  fired  at  by  grape 
and  shell,  in  what  seemed  to  me  a  very  unjustifiable 
manner.  Great  allowance,  however,  must  be  made 
for  the  men-of-war's  men,  who  after  many  hard  nights 
of  dreary  watching  constantly  under  weigh,  saw  their 
well-earned  prize  escaping  by  being  run  on  shore  and 
set  fire  to,  just  as  they  imagined  they  had  got  pos- 
session. On  several  occasions  they  have  been  content 
to  tow  the  empty  shell  of  an  iron  vessel  off  the  shore, 
her  valuable  cargo  having  been  destroyed  by  fire. 

But  I  have  left  my  little  craft  lying  as  was 
stated  about  sixty  miles  from  the  entrance  of  the  river. 
I  had  determined  to  try  a  new  method  of  getting 
through  the  blockading  squadron,  seeing  that  the 
usual  plan,  as  described  above,  was  no  longer  feasible 
or,  at  least,  advisable.  I  have  mentioned  that  our 
position  was  well  defined  by  observations  and  sound- 
ings, so  we  determined  to  run  straight  through  the 
blockaders,  and  to  take  our  chance.  When  it  was 
quite  dark  we  started  steaming  at  full  speed.  It  was 
extremely  thick  on  the  horizon,  but  clear  overhead, 
with  just  enough  wind  and  sea  to  prevent  the  little 
noise  the  engines  and  screws  made  being  heard. 
Every  light  was  out — even  the  men's  pipes ;  the 
masts  were  lowered  pn  to  the  deck;  and  if  ever  a 
vessel  was  invisible  the  D n  was  that  night. 


BLOCKADE  RUNNING  97 

We  passed  several  outlying  cruisers,  some 
unpleasantly  near,  but  still  we  passed  them.  All 
seemed  going  favourably,  when  suddenly  I  saw 
through  my  glasses  the  long  low  line  of  a  steamer 
right  ahead,  lying  as  it  were  across  our  bows  so  close 
that  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  pass  to  the 
right  or  left  of  her  without  being  seen.  A  prompt 
order  given  to  the  engine-room  (where  the  chief 
engineer  stood  to  the  engines)  to  reverse  one  engine, 
was  as  promptly  obeyed,  and  the  little  craft  spun 
round  like  a  teetotum.  If  I  had  not  seen  it,  I  could 
never  have  believed  it  possible  that  a  vessel  would 
have  turned  so  rapidly,  and  (although,  perhaps,  it  is 
irrelevant  to  my  subject)  I  cannot  refrain  from  bear- 
ing testimony  to  the  wonderful  powers  of  turning 
that  are  given  to  a  vessel  by  the  application  of 
Symond's  turnscrews,  as  he  loves  to  call  them.  On 
this  occasion  £50,000  of  property  was  saved  to  its 
owners.  I  do  not  believe  the  cruiser  saw  us  at  all, 
and  so  very  important  to  us  was  the  fact  that  we  had 
turned  in  so  short  a  space,  that  I  scarcely  think  we 
lost  five  yards  of  our  position.  Having  turned  we 
stopped  to  reconnoitre,  and  could  still  see  the  faint 
outline  of  the  cruiser  crawling  (propelled,  probably, 
only  by  the  wind)  slowly  into  the  darkness,  leaving 
the   way   open   to   us,  of  which   we   at  once   took 


98  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

advantage.  It  was  now  about  one  o'clock  in  the 
morning ;  our  lead,  and  an  observation  of  a  friendly 
star  told  us,  that  we  were  rapidly  nearing  the  shore. 
But  it  was  so  fearfully  dark,  that  it  seemed  almost 
hopeless  ever  to  find  our  way  to  the  entrance  of  the 
river,  and  no  one  felt  comfortable.  Still  we  steamed 
slowly  on  and  shortly  made  out  a  small  glimmer  of 
a  light  right  ahead.  We  eased  steam  a  little,  and 
cautiously  approached. 

As  we  got  nearer,  we  could  make  out  the  outline 
of  a  vessel  lying  at  anchor,  head  to  wind,  and  con- 
jectured that  this  must  be  the  senior  officer's  vessel, 
which  we  were  told  generally  lay  about  two  miles 
and  a  half  from  the  river's  mouth,  and  which  was 
obliged  to  show  some  sort  of  light  to  the  cruisers 
that  were  constantly  under  weigh  right  and  left  of 
her.  The  plan  of  finding  out  this  light,  and  using  it 
as  a  guide  to  the  river's  entrance,  being  shortly  after 
this  time  discovered,  the  vessel  that  carried  it  was 
moved  into  a  difierent  position  every  night,  whereby 
several  blockade-runners  came  to  grief. 

Feeling  pretty  confident  now  of  our  position,  we 
went  on  again  at  full  speed,  and  made  out  clearly  the 
line  of  blockaders  lying  to  the  right  and  lefb  of  the 
ship  which  showed  the  light ;  all  excepting  her  being 
apparently  under  weigh.    Seeing  an  opening  between 


BLOCKADE-RUNNING  99 

the  vossol  at  anchor  and  the  one  on  her  left,  we 
made  a  dash,  and,  thanks  to  our  disguise  and  great 
speed,  got  through  without  being  seen,  and  made  the 
most  of  our  way  towards  the  land.  As  a  strong 
current  runs  close  inshore  which  is  constantly- 
changing  its  course,  and  there  were  no  lights  or  land- 
marks to  guide  us,  it  was  a  matter  of  great  difficulty 
to  find  the  very  narrow  entrance  to  the  river. 

We  were  now  nearly  out  of  danger  from  cruisers, 
who  seldom  ventured  very  close  inshore  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  batteries ;  and  our  pilot,  who  had  been  through- 
out the  voyage  in  bodily  fear  of  an  American  prison, 
began  to  wake  up,  and,  after  looking  well  round, 
told  us  that  he  could  make  out,  over  the  long  line  of 
surf,  a  heap  of  sand  called  '  the  mound,'  which  was  a 
mark  for  going  into  the  river. 

This  good  news  emboldened  us  to  show  a  small 
light  from  the  inshore  side  of  the  vessel ;  it  was 
promptly  answered  by  two  lights  being  placed  a 
short  distance  apart  on  the  beach,  in  such  a  position 
that,  when  the  two  were  brought  into  line,  or,  as  the 
sailors  call  it,  into  one,  the  vessel  would  be  in  the 
channel  which  led  into  the  river.  This  being  done 
without  interruption  from  the  cruisers,  we  steamed 
in  and  anchored  safely  under  the  batteries  of  Fort 
Fisher. 


loo  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

Being  now  perfectly  safe,  lights  were  at  once 
lit,  supper  and  grog  served  out  ad,  libitum,  everybody 
congratulated  everybody,  and  a  feeling  of  comfort 
and  jollity,  sucli  as  can  only  be  experienced  after  three 
nights'  and  three  days'  intense  anxiety,  possessed  us 
all.  On  the  morning  breaking  we  counted  twenty-five 
cruisers  lying  as  near  as  they  dared  venture  off  the 
river's  mouth,  and  a  very  pleasant  sight  it  was, 
situated  as  we  were.  There  was  evidently  a  move 
among  them  of  an  unusual  kind;  for  the  smaller 
vessels  were  steaming  in  towards  the  shore  on  the 
north  side,  and  the  ships'  launches,  with  guns  in 
their  bows,  were  pulling  about  from  vessel  to  vessel. 
The  cause  of  it  as  day  advanced  was  but  too  apparent. 

Just  out  of  range  of  Fort  Fisher's  heavy  artillery, 
on  the  north  side  of  the  river's  entrance,  a  splendid 
paddle-wheel  blockade-runner  was  lying  on  the  beach, 
having  been  run  on  shore  during  the  night  to  avoid 
capture. 

Her  crew  had  evidently  escaped  to  the  shore, 
and  a  smouldering  smoke  showed  that  she  had  been 
set  fire  to,  and  that  a  little  wind  was  all  that  was 
necessary  to  make  the  flames  break  out.  The  block- 
ading ships  do  not  appear  to  have  been  aware  of  the 
damage  they  had  done  till  daylight  discovered  the 
vessel  that   they  probably  thought  had  either  got 


BLOCKADE-RUNNING  loi 

into  the  river  or  escaped  to  sea,  lying  on  the  beach. 
However,  they  were  not  slow  in  making  preparations 
for  capturing  her,  if  possible. 

Meanwhile,  two  of  the  crew  of  the  blockade- 
runner  managed  to  get  on  board  of  her,  and  setting 
her  on  fire  in  a  dozen  different  places,  everything  in 
the  vessel  was  soon  destroyed,  and  her  red-hot  sides 
made  boarding  an  impossibility. 

So  the  gunboats  retired  out  of  range,  and  the 
artillery  with  the  Whitworth  guns  returned  to  Fort 
Fisher.  The  shell  of  this  vessel  lay  for  months  on 
the  beach  and  was  by  no  means  a  bad  mark  for  the 
blockade-runners  to  steer  by. 

Having  witnessed  this  little  bit  of  excitement 
and  received  on  board  the  crew  of  the  stranded 
vessel,  we  took  a  pilot  on  board  and  steamed  up  the 
Cape  Clear  river  to  Wilmington. 

It  will  be  difficult  to  erase  from  my  memory  the 
excitement  of  the  evening  we  made  our  little  craft 
fast  alongside  the  quay  at  Wilmington ;  the  con- 
gratulations we  received,  the  champagne  cocktail 
we  imbibed,  the  eagerness  with  which  we  gave  and 
received  news,  the  many  questions  we  asked,  such 
as,  *  How  long  shall  we  be  unloading  ? '  '  Was  our 
cargo  of  cotton  ready  ? '  '  How  many  bales  covdd 
we   caiTy  ? '       '  How   other    blockade-runners  had 


102  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

fared  ?  '  &c. ;  and  the  visits  from  tliirsty  and  hungry 
Southerners  of  all  ranks  and  denominations,  many  of 
whom  had  not  tasted  alcohol  in  any  form  for  months, 
to  whom  whatever  they  liked  to  eat  or  drink  was 
freely  given,  accompanied  by  congratulations  on  all 
sides.  All  these  things,  combined  with  the  delightful 
feeling  of  security  from  capture,  and  the  glorious 
prospect  of  a  good  night's  rest  in  a  four-poster,  wound 
one  up  into  an  inexpressible  state  of  jollity.  If  some 
of  us  had  a  little  headache  in  the  morning,  surely  it 
was  small  blame  to  us.  Our  host's  cocktails,  made 
of  champagne  bitters  and  pounded  ice,  soon  put  all 
things  to  rights;  and  after  breakfast  we  lounged 
down  to  the  quays  on  the  river-side,  which  were  piled 
mountains  high  with  cotton-bales  and  tobacco  tierces, 
and  mixed  in  the  Kvely  and  busy  scene  of  discharging, 
selling,  and  shipping  cargoes. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

EXCITING  ADVENTURES. 

1  MAY  now,  I  trust,  without  appearing  egotis- 
tical, digress  slightly  from  the  narrative  to  give  an 
account  of  how  I  managed  with  my  own  private 
venture,  which  I  had  personally  to  attend  to  ;  for  it 
is  scarcely  necessary  to  mention  that  in  blockade- 
running  everyone  must  look  after  himself.  If  he 
does  not  his  labour  will  have  been  in  vain. 

Before  leaving  England  I  had  met  a  Southern 
lady,  who,  on  my  inquiring  as  to  what  was  most  needed 
by  her  compatriots  in  the  beleaguered  States,  replied 
curtly  :  '  Corsages,  sir,  I  reckon.'  So  I  determined 
to  buy  a  lot  of  the  articles  she  referred  to,  and  on 
arriving  at  Glasgow  (the  port  from  which  we  origi- 
nally started)  I  visited  an  emporium  that  seemed  to 
contain  everything  in  the  world ;  and  I  astonished 
a  young  fellow  behind  the  counter  by  asking  for 
a  thousand  pairs  of  stays.      Such  an  unusual  re- 


I04  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

quest  sent  him  off  like  a  rocket  to  higher  authority, 
with  whom  I  made  a  bargain  for  the  article  re- 
quired at  one  shilling  and  a  penny  per  pair,  to 
be  delivered  the  next  day.  At  the  same  time  I 
bought  five  hundred  boxes  of  Cockle's  pills,  and  a 
quantity  of  toothbrushes.  Well,  here  I  was  in 
Wilmington,  with  all  these  valuables  on  my  hands  ; 
the  corsages  were  all  right,  but  the  horrid  little 
Cockles  were  bursting  their  casements  and  tumbling 
about  my  cabin  in  all  directions.  I  was  anxious, 
with  the  usual  gallantry  of  my  cloth,  to  supply  the 
wants  of  the  ladies  first.  The  only  specimens  of  the 
sex  that  I  could  see  moving  about  were  coloured 
women,  who  were  so  httle  encumbered  with  dress 
that  I  began  to  think  I  was  mistaken  in  the  article 
recommended  by  my  lady  friend  as  being  the  most 
required  out  here.  After  waiting  some  time,  and  no 
one  coming  to  bid  for  my  ware,  I  was  meditating 
putting  up  on  the  ship's  side  a  large  board  with  the 
name  of  the  article  of  ladies'  dress  written  on  it — a 
pillbox  for  a  crest,  and  toothbrushes  as  supporters — 
when  an  individual  came  on  board  and  inquired 
whether  I  wished  'to  trade.'  I  greedily  seized 
upon  him,  took  him  into  my  retreat,  and  made  him 
swallow  three  glasses  of  brandy  in  succession,  after 
which  we  commenced  business. 


EXCITING  ADVENTURES  105 

I  will  not  trouble  my  reader  with  the  way  in 
which  we  traded ;  regarding  the  corsages,  suflSce  it 
to  say  that  he  bought  them  all  at  what  seemed  to  me 
the  enormous  price  of  twelve  shillings  each,  giving 
me  a  profit  of  nearly  eleven  hundred  per  cent. 

On  my  asking  where  the  fair  wearers  of  the 
article  he  had  bought  could  be  seen,  he  told  me  that 
all  the  ladies  had  gone  into  the  interior.  I  hope 
they  found  my  importations  useful ;  they  certainly 
were  not  ornamental. 

Elated  as  I  was  by  my  success,  I  did  not  forget 
the  Cockles,  and  gently  insinuated  to  my  now  some- 
what excited  friend  that  we  might  do  a  little  more 
trading.  To  my  disgust  he  told  me  that  he  had 
never  heard  of  such  a  thing  as  Cockle's  pills.  I 
strongly  urged  him  to  try  half-a-dozen,  assuring  him 
that  if  he  once  experienced  their  invigorating  effects 
he  would  never  cease  to  recommend  them.  But  the 
ignorant  fellow  didn't  seem  to  see  it ;  for,  finishing 
his  brandy  and  buttoning  up  his  pockets,  he  walked 
on  shore.  I  never  thought  of  naming  toothbrushes, 
for  what  could  a  man  who  had  never  heard  of  Cockles 
know  of  the  luxury  of  toothbrushes  ?  So  I  sat 
quietly  down,  and  began  to  sum  up  my  profits  on  the 
corsages. 

I  was   deeply  engaged  in  this  occupation  when 


io6  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

I  felt  a  lieavy  hand  on  my  shoulder.  Turning  round 
I  saw  my  friend  the  trader,  who,  after  having 
smothered  my  boot  in  tobacco -juice,  said,  'I  say, 
captain,  have  you  got  any  coffin-screws  on  trade  ? ' 
His  question  rather  staggered  me,  but  he  explained 
that  they  had  no  possible  way  of  making  this 
necessary  article  in  the  Southern  States,  and  that 
they  positively  could  not  keep  the  bodies  quiet  in 
their  coffins  without  them,  especially  when  being  sent 
any  distance  for  interment.  As  I  had  no  acquaint- 
ance, I  am  happy  to  say,  with  the  sort  of  thing  he 
wanted,  it  was  agreed  upon  between  us  that  I  should 
send  to  England  for  a  quantity,  he,  on  his  part,  pro- 
mising an  enormous  profit  on  their  being  delivered. 

I  cannot  help  remarking  on  the  very  great  in- 
convenience and  distress  that  were  entailed  on  the 
South  through  the  want  of  almost  every  description 
of  manufacture.  The  Southern  States,  having  always 
been  the  producing  portion  of  the  Union,  had  trusted 
to  the  North  and  to  Europe  for  its  manufactures. 
Thus,  when  they  were  shut  out  by  land  and  by  sea 
from  the  outer  world,  their  raw  material  was  of  but 
little  service  to  them.  This  fact  tended,  more  than 
is  generally  believed,  to  weaken  the  Southern  people 
in  the  glorious  struggle  they  made  for  what  they 
called  and  believed  to  be  their  rights, — a  struggle, 


EXCITING  ADVENTURES  107 

the  horrors  of  which  are  only  half  understood  by 
those  who  were  not  eye-witnesses  of  it.  Whether 
the  cause  was  good,  whether  armed  secession  was 
justifiable  or  not,  is  a  matter  regarding  which  opinions 
differ.  But  it  is  undeniable  that  all  fought  and 
endured  in  a  manner  worthy  of  a  good  and  a  just 
cause,  and  many  were  thoroughly  and  conscientiously 
convinced  it  was  so.  Such  men  as  Lee,  Stonewall 
Jackson,  and  others  would  never  have  joined  any 
cause  against  their  convictions ;  but  it  won't  do  for 
a  blockade-runner  to  attempt  to  moralise.  So  to 
return  to  my  story. 

My  readers  will  be  desirous  of  knowing  what 
was  the  result  of  my  speculation  in  Cockles  and 
toothbrushes.  Eegarding  the  former,  I  am  sorry  to 
say  that  all  my  endeavours  to  induce  my  Southern 
friends  to  try  their  efficacious  powers  were  of  no 
avail,  so  I  determined  to  take  them  with  me  to 
Nassau  (if  I  could  get  there),  thinking  that  I  might 
find  a  market  at  a  place  where  everyone  was  bilious 
from  over  eating  and  drinking,  on  the  strength  of 
the  fortunes  they  were  making  by  blockade-running ; 
and  there  I  found  an  enterprising  druggist  who  gave 
me  two  chests  of  lucifer  matches  in  exchange  for 
my  Cockles,  which  matches  I  ultimately  sold  in  the 
Confederacy  at  a  very  fair  profit.     My  toothbrushes 


io8  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

being  not  in  the  slightest  degree  appreciated  at 
Wilmington,  I  sent  them  to  Eichmond,  where  they 
were  sold  at  about  seven  times  their  cost. 

So  ended  my  speculation.  The  vessel's  cargo 
consisted  of  blankets,  shoes,  Manchester  goods  of  all 
sorts,  and  some  mysterious  cases  marked  '  hardware,' 
about  which  no  one  asked  any  questions,  but  which 
the  military  authorities  took  possession  of.  This 
cargo  was  landed,  and  preparations  made  for  taking 
on  board  the  paying  article  in  this  trade,  namely, 
cotton. 

I  never  bought  it  in  any  quantity,  but  I  know 
that  the  price  in  the  Southern  States  averaged  from 
twopence  to  threepence  a  pound,  the  price  in  Liver- 
pool at  that  time  being  about  half-a-crown. 

We  were  anxious  to  try  the  luck  of  our  run- 
out before  the  moon  got  powerful,  so  the  cargo  was 
shipped  as  quickly  as  possible.  In  the  first  place, 
the  hold  was  stored  by  expert  stevedores,  the  cotton- 
bales  being  so  closely  packed  that  a  mouse  could 
hardly  find  room  to  hide  itself  among  them.  The 
hatches  were  put  on,  and  a  tier  of  bales  put  fore  and 
aft  in  every  available  spot  on  the  deck,  leaving  open- 
ings for  the  approaches  to  the  cabins,  engine-room, 
and  the  men's  forecastle ;  then  another  somewhat 
thinner  tier  on  the  top  of  that,  after  which  a  few 


EXCITING  ADVENTURES  109 

bales  for  th6  captain  and  officers,  those  uncontrollable 
rascals  whom  the  poor  agents  could  not  manage,  and 
the  cargo  was  complete.  Loaded  in  this  way,  the 
vessel  with  only  her  foremast  up,  with  her  bow-fun- 
nel, and  grey-painted  sides,  looked  more  like  a  huge 
bale  of  cotton  with  a  stick  placed  upright  at  one  end 
of  it,  than    anything    else    I    can    think   of.     One 

bale  for ,  and  still  one  more  for (I  never 

tell  tales  out  of  school),  and  all  was  ready. 

We  left  the  quay  at  Wilmington  cheered  by  the 
hurrahs  of  our  brother  blockade-runners,  who  were 
taking  in  and  discharging  their  cargoes,  and  steamed 
a  short  distance  down"  the  river,  when  we  were 
boarded  to  be  searched  and  smoked.  This  latter  extra- 
ordinary proceeding,  called  for  perhaps  by  the  existing 
state  of  affairs,  took  me  altogether  aback.  That  a 
smoking  apparatus  should  be  applied  to  a  cargo  of 
cotton  seemed  almost  astounding.  But  so  it  was 
ordered,  the  object  being  to  seach  for  runaways,  and, 
strange  to  say,  its  efficacy  was  apparent,  when,  after  an 
hour  or  more's  application  of  the  process  (which  was 
by  no  means  a  gentle  one),  an  unfortunate  wretch, 
crushed  almost  to  death  by  the  closeness  of  his  hiding- 
place,  poked  with  a  long  stick  till  his  ribs  must  have 
been  like  touchwood,  and  smoked  the  colour  of  a 
backwood  Indian,  was  dragged  by  the  heels  into  the 


no  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

daylight,  ignominiouslj  put  into  irons,  and  hurled 
into  the  guard-boat.  This  discovery  nearly  caused 
the  detention  of  the  vessel  on  suspicion  of  our  being 
the  accomplices  of  the  runaway  ;  but  after  some  de- 
liberation, we  were  allowed  to  go  on. 

Having  steamed  down  the  river  a  distance  of 
about  twenty  miles,  we  anchored  at  two  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  near  its  mouth.  We  were  hidden  by 
Fort  Fisher  from  the  blockading  squadron  lying  oflf 
the  bar,  there  to  remain  till  some  time  after  nightfall. 
After  anchoring  we  went  on  shore  to  take  a  peep  at 
the  enemy  from  the  batteries.  Its  commandant,  a 
fine,  dashing  young  Confederate  officer,  who  was  a 
firm  friend  to  blockade-runners,  accompanied  us 
round  the  fort.  We  counted  twenty-five  vessels 
under  weigh  ;  some  of  them  occasionally  ventured 
within  range ;  but  no  sooner  had  one  of  them  done 
so,  than  a  shot  was  thrown  so  unpleasantly  near  that 
she  at  once  moved  out  again. 

We  were  much  struck  with  the  weakness  of 
Fort  Fisher,  which,  with  a  garrison  of  twelve  hundred 
men,  and  only  half  finished,  could  have  been  easily 
taken  at  any  time  since  the  war  began  by  a  resolute 
body  of  five  thousand  men  making  a  night  attack.  It 
is  true  that  at  the  time  of  its  capture  it  was  somewhat 
stronger  than  at  the  time  I  visited  it,  but  even  then 


EXCITING  ADVENTURES  in 

its  garrison  was  comparatively  small,  and  its  defences 
unfinished.  I  fancy  the  bold  front  so  long  shown 
by  its  occupiers  had  much  to  do  with  the  fact  that 
such  an  attack  was  not  attempted  till  just  before  the 
close  of  the  war.  The  time  chosen  for  our  starting 
was  eleven  o'clock,  at  which  hour  the  tide  was  at  its 
hiffhest  on  the  bar  at  the  entrance  of  the  river. 
Fortunately  the  moon  set  about  ten,  and  as  it  was 
very  cloudy,  we  had  every  reason  to  expect  a  pitch- 
dark  night.  There  were  two  or  three  causes  that 
made  one  rather  more  nervous  on  this  occasion  than 
when  leaving  Bermuda. 

In  the  first  place,  five  minutes  after  we  had 
crossed  the  bar,  we  should  be  in  the  thick  of  the 
blockaders,  who  always  closed  nearer  in  on  the  very 
dark  nights.  Secondly,  our  cargo  of  cotton  was  of 
more  importance  than  the  goods  we  had  carried  in ; 
and  thirdly,  it  v:as  the  thing  to  do  to  make  the  double 
trip  in  and  out  safely.  There  were  also  all  manner  of 
reports  of  the  new  plans  that  had  been  arranged  by 
a  zealous  commodore  lately  sent  from  New  York  to 
catch  us  all.  However,  it  was  of  no  use  canvassing 
these  questions,  so  at  a  quarter  to  eleven  we  weighed 
anchor  and  steamed  down  to  the  entrance  of  the 
river. 

Very  faint  lights,  which  could  not  be  seen  far 


112  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

at  sea,  were  set  on  tlie  beach  in  the  same  position  as 
I  have  before  described,  having  been  thus  placed  for 
a  vessel  coming  in ;  and  bringing  these  astern  in  an 
exact  line,  that  is  the  two  into  one,  we  knew  that  we 
were  in  the  passage  for  going  over  the  bar.  The 
order  was  then  given,  '  Full  speed  ahead,'  and  we 
shot  at  a  great  speed  out  to  sea. 

Our  troubles  began  almost  immediately ;  for  the 
cruisers  had  placed  a  rowing  barge,  which  could  not 
be  seen  by  the  forts,  close  to  the  entrance,  to  signalise 
the  direction  which  any  vessel  that  came  out  might 
take.  This  was  done  by  rockets  being  thrown  up 
by  a  designed  plan  from  the  barge.  We  had  hardly 
cleared  the  bar  when  we  saw  this  boat  very  near  our 
bows,  nicely  placed  to  be  run  clean  over,  and  as 
we  were  going  about  fourteen  knots,  her  chance  of 
escape  would  have  been  small  had  we  been  inclined  to 
finish  her.  Changing  the  helm,  which  I  did  myself, 
a  couple  of  spokes  just  took  us  clear.  We  passed 
so  close  that  I  could  have  dropped  a  biscuit  into 
the  boat  with  ease.  I  heard  the  crash  of  broken  oars 
against  our  sides  ;  not  a  word  was  spoken. 

I  strongly  suspect  every  man  in  that  boat  held 
his  breath  till  the  great  white  avalanche  of  cotton, 
rushing  by  so  unpleasantly  near,  had  passed  quite 
clear  of  her. 


EXCITING  ADVENTURES  113 

However,  they  seemed  very  soon  to  have  recovered 
themselves,  for  a  minute  had  scarcely  passed  before 
up  went  a  rocket,  which  I  thought  a  very  ungrateful 
proceeding  on  their  part.  But  they  only  did  their 
duty,  and  perhaps  they  did  not  know  how  nearly  they 
had  escaped  being  made  food  for  fishes.  On  the 
rocket  being  thrown  up,  a  gun  was  fired  uncommonly 
close  to  us,  but  as  we  did  not  hear  any  shot,  it  may 
have  been  only  a  signal  to  the  cruisers  to  keep  a  sharp 
look-out. 

We  steered  a  mile  or  two  near  the  coast,  always 
edging  a  little  to  the  eastward,  and  then  shaped  our 
course  straight  out  to  sea.  Several  guns  were  fired 
in  the  pitch-darkness  very  near  us.  (I  am  not  quite 
sure  whether  some  of  the  blockaders  did  not 
occasionally  pepper  each  other.)  After  an  hour's  fast 
steaming,  we  felt  moderately  safe,  and  by  the  morning 
had  a  good  ofiing. 

Daylight  broke  with  thick,  hazy  weather,  nothing 
being  in  sight.  We  went  on  all  right  till  half-past 
eight  o'clock,  when  the  weather  cleared  up,  and  there 
was  a  large  paddle-wheel  cruiser  (that  we  must  have 
passed  very  near  to  in  the  thick  weather)  about  six 
miles  astern  of  us.  The  moment  she  saw  us  she  gave 
chase.  After  running  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  it 
was  evident  that  with  our  heavy  cargo  on  board,  the 
6 


114  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

cruiser  had  the  legs  of  us,  and  as  there  was  a  long 
day  before  us  for  the  chase,  things  looked  badly.  We 
moved  some  cotton  aft  to  immerse  our  screws  well; 
but  still  the  cruiser  was  steadily  decreasing  her 
distance  from  us,  when  an  incident  of  a  very  curious 
nature  favoured  us  for  a  time. 

It  is  mentioned  in  the  book  of  sailing  directions, 
that  the  course  of  the  Gulf  Stream  (in  the  vicinity  of 
which  we  knew  we  were)  is  in  calm  weather  and 
smooth  water  plainly  marked  out  by  a  ripple  on  its 
inner  and  outer  edges.  We  clearly  saw,  about  a 
mile  ahead  of  us,  a  remarkable  ripple,  which  we 
rightly,  as  it  turned  out,  conjectured  was  that 
referred  to  in  the  book.  As  soon  as  we  had  crossed 
it,  we  steered  the  usual  course  of  the  current  of  the 
Gulf  Stream,  that  here  ran  from  two  to  three  miles 
an  hour.  Seeing  us  alter  our  course,  the  cruiser  did 
the  same ;  but  she  had  not  crossed  the  ripple  on  the 
edge  of  the  stream,  and  the  course  she  was  now 
steering  tended  to  keep  her  for  some  time  from  doing 
BO.  The  result  soon  made  it  evident  that  the 
observations  in  the  book  were  correct ;  for  until  she 
too  crossed  the  ripple  into  the  stream,  we  dropped 
her  rapidly  astern,  whereby  we  increased  our  distance 
to  at  least  seven  miles. 

It  was  now  noon,  from  which  time   the  enemy 


EXCITING  ADVENTURES  115 

again  began  to  close  with  us,  and  at  five  o'clock  was 
not  more  than  three  miles  distant.  At  six  o'clock 
she  opened  a  harmless  fire  with  the  Parrot  gun  in 
her  bow,  the  shot  falling  far  short  of  us.  The  sun 
set  at  a  quarter  to  seven,  by  which  time  she  had  got 
so  near  that  she  managed  to  send  two  or  three  shots 
over  us,  and  was  steadily  coming  up. 

Luckily,  as  night  came  on,  the  weather  became 
very  cloudy,  and  we  were  on  the  dark  side  of  the 
moon,  now  setting  in  the  West,  which  occasionally 
breaking  through  the  clouds  astern  of  the  cruiser, 
showed  us  all  her  movements,  while  we  must  have 
been  very  difficult  to  make  out,  though  certainly  not 
more  than  a  mile  off.  All  this  time  she  kept  firing 
away,  thinking,  I  suppose,  that  she  would  frighten 
us  into  stopping.  If  we  had  gone  straight  on,  we 
should  doubtless  have  been  caught;  so  we  altered 
our  course  two  points  to  the  eastward.  After 
steaming  a  short  distance  we  stopped  quite  still, 
blowing  off"  steam  under  water,  not  a  spark  or  the 
slightest  smoke  showing  from  the  funnel ;  and  we 
had  the  indescribable  satisfaction  of  seeing  our  enemy 
steam  past  us,  still  firing  ahead  at  some  imaginary 
vessel. 

This  had  been  a  most  exciting  chase  and  a  very 
narrow  escape ;  night  only  saved  us  from  a  New  York 


Ii6  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

prison.  All  this  hard  running  had  made  an  awful 
hole  in  our  coal-bunkers,  and  as  it  was  necessary  to 
keep  a  stock  for  a  run  off  the  blockaded  Bahama 
Islands,  we  were  obliged  to  reduce  our  expenditure 
to  as  small  a  quantity  as  possible.  However  we  were 
well  out,  to  sea,  and  after  having  passed  the  line  of 
cruisers  between  Wilmington  and  Bermuda,  we  had 
not  much  to  fear  till  we  approached  the  British 
possessions  of  Nassau  and  the  adjacent  islands,  where 
two  or  three  very  fast  American  vessels  were  cruising, 
although  five  hundred  miles  from  American  waters. 
I  am  ignorant,  I  confess,  of>the  laws  of  blockade,  or 
indeed  if  a  law  there  be  that  allows  its  enforcement, 
and  penalties  to  be  enacted,  five  hundred  miles 
away  from  the  ports  blockaded.  But  it  did  seem 
strange  that  the  men-of-war  of  a  nation  at  peace 
with  England  should  be  allowed  to  cruise  off  her 
ports,  to  stop  and  examine  trading  vessels  of  all 
descriptions,  to  capture  and  send  to  New  York,  for 
adjudication,  vessels  on  the  mere  suspicion  of  their 
being  intended  blockade-runners ;  and  to  chase  and 
fire  into  real  blockade-runners  so  near  to  the  shore 
that  on  one  occasion  the  shot  and  shell  fell  into  a 
fishing  village,  and  that  within  sight  of  an  English 
man-of-war  lying  at  anchor  in  the  harbour  at  Nassau. 
Surely  it   is  time   that  some  well-understood   laws 


EXCITING  ADVENTURES  117 

should  be  made,  and  rules  laid  down,  or  such  doinga 
will  sooner  or  later  recoil  on  their  authors. 

Having  so  little  coal  on  board,  we  determined 
on  making  for  the  nearest  point  of  the  Bahama 
Islands,  and  luckily  reached  a  queer  little  island 
called  Green  Turtle  Quay,  on  the  extreme  north  of 
the  group,  where  was  a  small  English  colony,  without 
being  seen  by  the  cruisers.  We  had  not  been  there 
long,  however,  before  one  of  them  came  sweeping 
round  the  shore,  and  stopped  unpleasantly  near  to 
us ;  even  though  we  were  inside  the  rock  she  hovered 
about  outside,  not  a  mile  from  us. 

We  were  a  tempting  bait,  but  a  considerable 
risk  to  snap,  and  I  suppose  the  American  captain 
could  not  quite  make  up  his  mind  to  capture  a  vessel 
(albeit  a  blockade-runner  piled  full  of  cotton)  lying 
in  an  English  port,  insignificant  though  that  port 
might  be.  We  had  got  a  large  white  English  ensign 
hoisted  on  a  pole,  thereby  showing  the  nationality  of 
the  rock,  should  the  cruiser  be  inclined  to  question 
it.  After  many  longing  looks,  she  steamed  slowly 
away,  much  to  our  satisfaction.  Coals  were  sent  to 
us  from  Nassau  the  next  day,  which  having  been 
taken  on  board,  we  weighed  anchor,  keeping  close  to 
the  reefs  and  islands  all  the  way.  We  steamed 
towards  that  port,  and  arrived  safely,  having  made 


Ii8  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

the  in-and-out  voyage,  including  tlie  time  in  unload- 
ing and  loading  at  Wilmington,  in  sixteen  days. 

To  attempt  to  describe  at  length  the  state  of 
things  at  this  usually  tranquil  and  unfrequented  little 
spot  is  beyond  my  powers.  I  will  only  mention 
some  of  its  most  striking  features.  Nassau  differed 
much  from  Wilmington,  inasmuch  as  at  the  latter 
place  there  was  a  considerable  amount  of  poverty  and 
distress,  and  men's  minds  were  weighted  with  many 
troubles  and  anxieties;  whereas,  at  Nassau,  every- 
thing at  the  time  I  speak  of  was  couleur  de  rose. 
Every  one  seemed  prosperous  and  happy.  You  met 
with  calculating,  far-seeing  men  who  were  steadily 
employed  in  feathering  their  nests,  let  the  war  in 
America  end  as  it  might ;  others  who,  in  the  height 
of  their  enthusiasm  for  the  Southern  cause,  put  their 
last  farthing  into  Confederate  securities,  anticipating 
enormous  profits ;  some  men,  careless  and  thoughtless, 
living  for  the  hour,  were  spending  their  dollars  as 
fast  as  they  made  them,  forgetting  that  they  would 
'never  see  the  like  again.'  There  were  rollicking 
captains  and  officers  of  blockade-runners,  and 
drunken  swaggering  crews  ;  sharpers  looking  out  for 
victims ;  Yankee  spies ;  and  insolent  worthless  free 
niggers — all  these  combined  made  a  most  hetero- 
geneous, though  interesting,  crowd. 


EXCITING  ADVENTURES  119 

The  inhabitants  of  Nassau,  who,  until  the  period 
of  blockade-running,  had,  with  some  exceptions,  sub- 
sisted on  a  precarious  and  somewhat  questionable 
livelihood  gained  by  wrecking,  had  their  heads  as 
much  turned  as  the  rest  of  the  world.  Living  was 
exorbitantly  dear,  as  can  be  well  imagined,  when 
the  captain  of  a  blockade-runner  could  realise  in  a 
month  a  sum  as  large  as  the  Governor's  salary.  The 
expense  of  living  was  so  great  that  the  officers  of  the 
West  India  regiment  quartered  here  had  to  apply 
for  special  allowance,  and  I  believe  their  application 
was  successful.  The  hotel,  a  large  building,  hitherto 
a  most  ruinous  speculation,  began  to  realise  enormous 
profits.  In  fact,  the  almighty  dollar  was  spent  as 
freely  as  the  humble  cent  had  been  before  this  golden 
era  in  the  annals  of  Nassau. 

As  we  had  to  stay  here  till  the  time  for  the 
dark  nights  came  round  again,  we  took  it  easy,  and 
thoroughly  enjoyed  all  the  novelty  of  the  scene. 
Most  liberal  entertainment  was  provided  free  by 
our  owner's  agent,  and  altogether  we  found  Nassau 
very  jolly :  eo  much  so,  that  we  felt  almost  sorry 
when  '  time '  was  called,  and  we  had  to  prepare  for 
another  run.  In  fact,  it  was  pleasanter  in  blockade- 
running  to  look  backwards  than  forwards,  especially 
if  one  had  been  so  far  in  good  luck. 


I20  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 


CHAPTER  XII. 

A    VISIT    TO    CHARLESTON. 

All  being  ready,  we  steamed  out  of  Nassau  harbour, 
and  were  soon  again  in  perilous  waters.  We  bad  a 
distant  cbase  now  and  then — a  mere  child's  play  to  us 
after  our  experience — and  on  the  third  evening  of  our 
voyage  we  were  pretty  well  placed  for  making  a  run 
through  the  blockading  squadron  as  soon  as  it  was 
dark.  As  the  moon  rose  at  twelve  o'clock,  it  was 
very  important  that  we  should  get  into  port  before 
she  threw  a  light  upon  the  subject. 

Unfortunately,  we  were  obliged  to  alter  our 
course  or  stop  so  often  to  avoid  cruisers  that  we  ran 
our  time  too  close  ;  for,  as  we  were  getting  near  to 
the  lino  of  blockade,  a  splendid  three-quarter-size 
moon  rose,  making  everything  as  clear  as  day. 
Trying  to  pass  through  the  line  of  vessels  ahead 
with  such  a  bright  light  shining  would  have  been 
madness;  in  fact,  it  was  dangerous  to  be  moving 


A    VISIT  TO  CHARLESTON  121 

about  at  all  in  such  clear  weather,  so  we  steamed 
towards  the  land  on  the  extreme  left  of  the  line  of 
cruisers,  and  having  made  it  out,  went  quite  close 
inshore  and  anchored. 

By  lying  as  close  as  we  dare  to  the  beach,  we 
must  have  had  the  appearance  of  forming  part  of 
the  low  sand-hills,  which  were  about  the  height  and 
colour  of  the  vessel ;  the  wood  on  their  tops  forming 
a  background  which  hid  the  small  amount  of  funnel 
and  mast  that  showed  above  the  decks.  We  must 
have  been  nearly  invisible,  for  we  had  scarcely  been 
an  hour  at  anchor  when  a  gun-boat  came  steaming 
along  the  shore  very  near  to  the  beach  ;  and  while 
we  were  breathlessly  watching  her,  hoping  that  she 
would  go  past,  she  dropped  anchor  alongside  of  us, 
a  little  outside  where  we  were  lying — so  close  that 
we  not  only  heard  every  order  that  was  given  on 
board,  but  could  almost  make  out  the  purport  of  the 
ordinary  conversation  of  the  people  on  her  decks. 
A  pistol  shot  would  have  easily  reached  us.  Our 
position  was  most  unpleasant,  to  say  the  least  of  it. 
We  could  not  stay  where  we  were,  as  it  only  wanted 
two  hours  to  daybreak.  If  we  had  attempted  to 
weigh  anchor,  we  must  have  been  heard  doing  so. 
However,  we  had  sufficient  steam  at  command  to 
make  a  run  for  it.     So,  after  waiting  a  little  to  allow 


122  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

the  cruiser's  fires  to  get  low,  we  knocked  tlie  pin 
out  of  the  shackle  of  the  chain  on  deck,  and  easing 
the  cable  down  into  the  water,  went  ahead  with  one 
engine  and  astern  with  the  other,  to  turn  our  vessel 
round  head  to  seaward. 

Imagine  our  consternation  when,  as  she  turned, 
she  struck  the  shore  before  coining  half  round  (she 
had  been  lying  with  her  head  inshore,  so  now  it  was 
pointed  along  the  beach,  luckily  in  the  right  direc- 
tion, i.e.  lying  from  the  cruiser).  There  was  nothing 
left  to  us  but  to  put  on  full  speed,  and  if  possible 
force  her  from  the  obstruction,  which  after  two  or 
three  hard  bumps  we  succeeded  in  doing. 

After  steaming  quite  close  to  the  beach  for  a 
little  way,  we  stopped  to  watch  the  gun-boat,  which, 
after  resting  for  an  hour  or  so,  weighed  anchor  and 
steamed  along  the  beach  in  the  opposite  direction  to 
the  way  we  had  been  steering,  and  was  soon  out  of 
sight.  So  we  steamed  a  short  distance  inshore  and 
anchored  again.  It  would  have  been  certain  capture  to 
have  gone  out  to  sea  just  before  daybreak,  so  we  made 
the  little  craft  as  invisible  as  possible,  and  remained 
all  the  next  day,  trusting  to  our  luck  not  to  be  seen. 
And  our  luck  favoured  us ;  for,  although  we  saw 
several  cruisers  at  a  distance,  none  noticed  us,  which 
seems  almost  miraculous. 


A    VISIT  TO  CHARLESTON  123 

Thus  passed  Christmas  Day,  1863,  and  an  anxious 
day  it  was  to  all  of  us.  We  might  have  landed  our 
cargo  where  we  w^ere  lying,  but  it  would  have  been 
landed  in  a  dismal  swamp,  and  we  should  have  been 
obliged  to  go  into  Wilmington  for  our  cargo  of  cotton. 

When  night  closed  in  we  weighed  anchor  and 
steamed  to  the  entrance  of  the  river,  which,  from  our 
position  being  so  well  defined,  we  had  no  difficulty 
in  making  out.  We  received  a  broadside  from  a 
savage  little  gun-boat  quite  close  inshore,  her  shot 
passing  over  us,  and  that  was  all.  We  got  comfort- 
ably to  the  anchorage  about  half-past  eleven  o'clock, 
and  so  ended  our  second  journey  in. 

I  determined  this  time  to  have  a  look  at 
Charleston,  which  was  then  undergoing  a  lengthened 
and  destructive  siege.  So,  after  giving  over  my 
craft  into  the  hands  of  the  owner's  representatives, 
who  would  unload  and  put  her  cargo  of  cotton  on 
board,  I  took  my  place  in  the  train  and,  after  passing 
thirty-six  of  the  most  miserable  hours  in  my  life 
travelling  the  distance  of  one  hundred  and  forty 
miles,  I  arrived  at  the  capital  of  South  Carolina,  or 
rather  near  to  that  city — for  the  train,  disgusted  I 
suppose  with  itself,  ran  quietly  ofi"  the  line  about  two 
miles  from  the  station  into  a  meadow.  The  passengers 
seemed   perfectly  contented,  and  shouldering  their 


124  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

baggage  walked  off  into  the  town.  I  mechanically 
followed  with  my  portmanteau,  and  in  due  course 
arrived  at  the  only  hotel,  where  I  was  informed  I 
might  have  half  a  room. 

'  Acting  on  a  hint  I  received  from  a  black  waiter 
that  food  was  being  devoured  in  the  coffee-room,  and 
that  if  I  did  not  look  out  for  myself  I  should  have  to 
do  without  that  essential  article  for  the  rest  of  the 
day,  I  hurried  into  the  salle-d-manger,  where  two 
long  tables  were  furnished  with  all  the  luxuries  then 
to  be  obtained  in  Charleston,  which  luxuries  consisted 
of  lumps  of  meat  supposed  to  be  beef,  boiled  Indian 
com,  and  I  think  there  were  the  remains  of  a 
feathered  biped  or  two,  to  partake  of  which  I  was 
evidently  too  late.  All  these  washed  down  with 
water,  or  coffee  without  sugar,  were  not  very  tempt- 
ing ;  but  human  nature  must  be  supported,  so  to  it  I 
set,  and  having  swallowed  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
animal  food,  I  went  off  to  my  room  to  take  a  pull  at 
a  bottle  of  braudy  which  I  had  sagaciously  stored 
in  my  carpet-bag.  But,  alas!  for  the  morals  of 
the  beleaguered  city.  I  found,  on  arriving  there,  a 
nigger  extended  at  full  length  in  happy  oblivion  on 
the  floor,  with  the  few  clothes  I  had  with  me  forming 
his  pillow,  and  the  braudy  bottle  rolling  about  along- 
side of  him,  empty. 


A    VISIT  TO  CHARLESTON  125 

I  first  of  all  hammered  his  head  against  the 
floor,  but  the  floor  had  the  worst  of  it  ;  then  I  kicked 
his  shins  (the  only  vulnerable  part  of  a  nigger),  but 
it  was  of  no  use  ;  so  pouring  the  contents  of  a  water 
jug  over  him,  in  the  hope  that  I  might  thus  cause 
awful  dreams  to  disturb  his  slumbers,  I  left  him, 
voting  myself  a  muS"  for  leaving  the  key  in  my 
box. 

Having  letters  of  introduction  to  some  of  General 
Beauregard's  staff,  I  made  my  way  to  headquarters, 
where  I  met  with  the  greatest  courtesy  and  kindness. 
An  orderly  was  sent  with  me  to  show  me  the  top  of  the 
tower,  a  position  that  commanded  a  famous  view  of 
the  besieging  army,  the  blockading  squadron,  and 
all  the  defences  of  the  place.  A  battery  had  just 
been  placed  by  the  enemy  (consisting  of  five  Parrot 
guns  of  heavy  calibre)  five  miles  from  the  town, 
and  that  day  had  opened  fire  for  the  first  time.  At 
that  enormous  range  the  shell  occasionally  burst 
over  or  fell  into  the  city,  doing,  however,  little 
damage.  The  elevation  of  the  guns  must  have  been 
unusually  great.  I  am  told  that  every  one  of  them 
burst  after  a  week's,  or  thereabouts,  firing.  Poor 
Fort  Sumter  was  nearly  silenced  after  many  months* 
hammering,  but  its  brave  defenders  remained  in  it 
to  the  last,  and  it  was  not  till  a  few  days   before 


126  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

Charleston  was  abandoned  that  they  gave  it  up.  At 
the  time  I  speak  of  the  whole  of  the  western  beach 
was  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  Battery  Wagner 
having  succumbed  after  one  of  the  most  gallant 
defences  on  record.  While  it  remained  in  the  hands 
of  the  Southerners  it  assisted  Fort  Sumter,  inasmuch 
as  from  its  position  it  kept  the  enemy  at  a  distance, 
but  after  its  capture,  or  rather  destruction,  the  latter 
fort  was  exposed  to  a  tremendous  fire  from  ships  and 
batteries,  and  its  solid  front  was  terribly  crumbled. 

Surrounded,  however,  with  water  as  it  was,  it 
would  have  been  most  difficult  to  take  by  assault ; 
and  from  what  I  could  learn,  certain  destruction 
would  have  met  any  body  of  men  who  had  attempted 
it  latterly.  There  it  stood,  sulkily  firing  a  shot  or 
shell  now  and  then,  more  out  of  defiance  than  anything 
else.  The  blockading,  or  rather  bombarding,  squadron 
was  lying  pretty  near  to  it  on  the  western  side  of 
the  entrance  to  the  harbour ;  but  on  the  east  side, 
formidable  batteries  belonging  to  the  Southerners 
kept  them  at  a  respectable  distance.  Blockade- 
running  into  Charleston  was  quite  at  an  end  at  the 
time  I  am  writing  about.  Not  that  I  think  the 
cniisers  could  have  kept  vessels  from  getting  in,  but 
for  the  reason  that  the  harbour  was  a  perfect  net- 
work of  torpedoes  and  infernal  machines  (the  passage 


A    VISIT  TO  CHARLESTON  127 

through  which  was  only  known  to  a  few  persons), 
placed  by  the  Southerners  to  prevent  the  Northern 
fleet  from  approaching  the  city. 

Having  had  a  good  look  at  the  positions  of  the 
attacking  and  defending  parties,  I  went  down  from 
the  tower  and  paid  a  visit  to  a  battery  where  two 
Blakely  guns  of  heavy  calibre,  that  had  lately  been 
run  through  the  blockade  in  the  well-known 
*  Sumter '  (now  the  '  Gibraltar '),  were  mounted. 
These  guns  threw  a  shot  of  720  lbs.  weight,  and  were 
certainly  masterpieces  of  design  and  execution.  Un- 
happily, proper  instructions  for  loading  had  not 
accompanied  them  from  England,  and  on  the  occasion 
of  the  first  round  being  fired  from  one  of  them,  the 
gun  not  being  properly  loaded,  cracked  at  the  breech, 
and  was  rendered  useless ;  the  other,  however,  did 
good  service,  throwing  shot  with  accuracy  at  great 
distances.  I  saw  much  that  was  interesting  here, 
but  more  able  pens  than  mine  have  already  described 
fully  the  details  of  that  long  siege,  where  on  one 
hand  all  modern  appliances  of  war  that  ingenuity  could 
conceive  or  money  purchase  were  put  into  the  hands 
of  brave  and  determined  soldiers  ;  on  the  other  hand 
were  bad  arms,  bad  powder,  bad  provisions,  bad 
everything ;  desperate  courage  and  unheard-of  self- 
denial  being  all  the  Southerners  had  to  depend  upon. 


128  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

These  poor  Southerners  never  began  to  open 
their  eyes  to  the  hopelessness  of  their  cause  till  Sher- 
man's almost  unopposed  march  showed  the  weakness 
of  the  whole  country.  Even  strangers  like  myself 
were  so  carried  away  with  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
moment,  that  we  shut  our  eyes  to  what  should  have 
been  clearly  manifest  to  us.  We  could  not  believe 
that  men  who  were  fighting  and  enduring  as  these 
men  were  could  ever  be  beaten.  Some  of  their 
leaders  must  have  foreseen  that  the  catastrophe  was 
coming  months  before  it  occurred ;  but,  if  they  did 
so,  they  were  afraid  to  make  their  opinion  public. 

On  returning  to  the  hotel,  I  found  it  full  of 
people  of  all  classes  indulging  in  tobacco  (the  only 
solace  left  them)  in  every  form.  It  is  all  very  well  to 
say  that  smoking  is  a  vile  habit ;  so  it  may  be,  when 
indulged  in  by  luxurious  fellows  who  eat  and  drink 
their  full  every  day,  and  are  rarely  without  a  cigar  or 
pipe  in  their  mouths ;  it  may,  perhaps,  be  justly  said 
that  such  men  abuse  the  use  of  the  glorious  narcotic 
supplied  by  Providence  for  men's  consolation  under 
diflSculties.  But  when  a  man  has  hard  mental  and 
bodily  work,  and  barely  enough  food  to  support 
nature,  water  being  his  only  drink,  then  give  him 
tobacco,  and  he  will  thoroughly  appreciate  it.  Besides, 
it  will  do  him  real  good.     I  think  that  at  any  time 


A    VISIT  TO  CHARLESTON  129 

its  use  in  moderation  is  harmless  and  often  beneficial, 
but  under  the  circumstances  I  speak  of  it  is  a  luxury 
without  price. 

During  the  evening  I  met  at  the  hotel  a  Con- 
federate naval  officer  who  was  going  to  attempt  that 
night  to  carry  havoc  among  the  blockading  squadron 
by  means  of  a  cigar-shaped  vessel  of  a  very  curious 
description. 

This  vessel  was  a  screw  steamer  of  sixty  feet  in 
length,  with  eight  feet  beam.  She  lay,  before  being 
prepared  for  the  important  service  on  which  she  was 
going,  with  about  two  feet  of  her  hull  showing  above 
the  water,  at  each  end  of  which,  on  the  shoulder  as 
it  were  of  the  cigar,  was  a  small  hatch  or  opening, 
just  large  enough  to  allow  a  man  to  pop  through  it : 
from  her  bows  projected  a  long  iron  outrigger,  at  the 
end  of  which  there  was  fixed  a  torpedo  that  would 
explode  on  coming  into  contact  with  a  vessel's  side. 

When  the  crew  were  on  board,  and  had  gone 
down  into  the  vessel  through  one  of  the  hatches  above 
mentioned,  the  said  hatches  were  firmly  closed,  and 
by  arrangements  that  were  made  from  the  inside  the 
vessel  was  sunk  about  six  inches  below  the  water, 
leaving  merely  a  small  portion  of  the  funnel  showing. 
Steam  and  smoke  being  got  rid  of  below  water,  the 
vessel  was  invisible,  torpedo  and  all  being  immersed. 


I30  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

The  officer  having  thus  described  his  vessel, 
wished  me  good-night,  and  started  on  his  perilous 
enterprise.  I  met  him  again  next  evening  quietly 
smoking  his  pipe.  I  eagerly  asked  hira  what  he  had 
done,  when  he  told  me  with  the  greatest  sang-froid 
that  he  had  gone  on  board  his  vessel  with  a  crew  of 
seven  men ;  that  everything  for  a  time  had  gone  like 
clockwork ;  they  were  all  snug  below  with  hatches 
closed,  the  vessel  was  sunk  to  the  required  depth,  and 
was  steadily  steaming  down  the  harbour,  apparently 
perfectly  water-tight,  when  suddenly  the  sea  broke 
through  the  foremost  hatch  and  she  went  to  the 
bottom  immediately.  He  said  he  did  not  know  how 
he  escaped.  He  imagined  that  after  the  vessel  had 
filled  he  had  managed  to  escape  through  the  aperture 
by  which  the  water  got  in ;  all  the  rest  of  the  poor 
fellows  were  drowned.  Not  that  my  friend  seemed 
to  think  anything  of  that,  for  human  life  was  very 
little  thought  of  in  those  times.  This  vessel  was 
afterwards  got  up,  when  the  bodies  of  her  crew  were 
still  in  her  hold.  I  imagined  that  the  vessel  con- 
tained sufficient  air  to  enable  her  to  remain  under 
water  two  or  three  hours,  or  maybe  some  method  was 
practised  by  which  air  could  be  introduced  by  the 
funnel ;  at  all  events,  had  she  been  successful  on  that 
night,  she  would  undoubtedly  have  caused  a  good 


A    VISIT  TO   CHARLESTON  131 

deal  of  damage  and  loss  to  the  blockading  squadron, 
who  were  constantly  harassed  by  all  sorts  of  infernal 
machines,  torpedoes,  fire-vessels,  &c.,  which  were 
sent  out  against  thera  by  ingenious  Southerners, 
whose  fertile  imaginations  were  constantly  conceiving 
some  new  invention. 

On  the  next  occasion  that  same  enterprising 
officer  was  employed  on  a  similar  enterprise,  his  efforts 
were  crowned  with  complete  success. 

He  started  one  dark  night,  in  a  submerged 
vessel  of  the  same  kind  as  that  above  described,  and 
exploded  the  torpedo  against  the  bows  of  one  of  the 
blockading  squadron,  doing  so  much  damage  that  the 
vessel  had  to  be  run  on  shore  to  prevent  her  sinking, 

I  must,  before  finishing  my  account  of  what  I 
saw  and  did  in  Charleston,  mention  a  circumstance 
that  showed  how  little  the  laws  of  meum  and  tumn 
are  respected  during  war  times.  The  morning  before 
I  left,  I  had  a  fancy  for  having  my  coat  brushed  and 
my  shoes  polished.  So  having  deposited  these  articles 
on  a  chair  at  the  door  of  my  room,  I  went  to  bed 
again  to  have  another  snooze,  hoping  to  find  them 
cleaned  when  I  awoke.  After  an  hour  or  so  I  got 
up  to  dress,  and  rang  the  bell  several  times  without 
getting  any  answer.  So  I  opened  the  door  and 
looked  out  into  the  passage.     To  my  surprise  I  saw 


132  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

an  individual  sitting  on  the  cliair  on  whicli  I  had 
put  my  clothes,  trying  on  one  of  my  boots.  He  had 
succeeded  in  getting  it  half  on  when  it  had  stuck, 
and  at  the  time  I  discovered  him  he  seemed  to  be 
in  a  fix,  inasmuch  as  he  could  neither  get  the  boot  off 
nor  on.  He  was  struggling  violently  with  my  poor 
boot,  as  if  it  were  his  personal  enemy,  and  swearing 
like  a  trooper.  Not  wishing  to  increase  his  ire,  I 
blandly  insinuated  that  the  boots  were  mine,  on 
which  he  turned  his  wrath  towards  me,  making  most 
unpleasant  remarks,  which  he  wound  up  by  saying 
that  in  these  times  anything  that  a  man  could  pick 
up  lying  about  was  his  lawful  property,  and  that  he 
was  astonished  at  my  impudence  in  asking  for  the 
boots.  However,  as  the  darned  things  would  not  fit 
him  '  no  how,'  he  guessed  I  was  welcome  to  them ; 
and  giving  a  vicious  tug  to  the  boot  to  get  it  off,  he 
succeeded  in  doing  so,  and  I,  picking  it  up  with  its 
fellow,  made  good  my  retreat.  But  where  was  my 
coat  ?  I  could  not  get  an  echo  of  an  answer,  where  ? 
So  I  went  downstairs  and  told  my  piteous  tale  to  the 
landlord,  who  laughed  at  my  troubles,  and  told  nie 
he  could  not  give  me  the  slightest  hopes  of  overseeing 
it  again ;  but  he  offered  to  lend  me  a  garment  in 
which  to  travel  to  Wilmington,  which  offer  I  gladly 
accepted. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

NEVER  caught! 

On  my  return  to  Wilmington  I  found  that  my 
vessel  was  ready  for  sea,  so  I  took  charge  of  her,  and 
we  went  down  the  river. 

We  had  to  undergo  the  same  ordeal  as  before 
in  the  way  of  being  smoked  and  searched.  This 
time  there  were  no  runaways  discovered,  but  there 
was  one  on  board  for  all  that,  who  made  his  appear- 
ance, almost  squashed  to  death,  after  we  had  been 
twenty-four  hours  at  sea.  We  then  anchored  under 
Fort  Fisher,  where  we  waited  until  it  was  dark,  after 
which,  when  the  tide  was  high  enough  on  the  bar, 
we  made  a  move  and  were  soon  rushing  out  to  sea  at 
full  speed.  There  was  a  considei*able  swell  running, 
which  we  always  considered  a  point  in  our  favour. 
By  the  way,  writing  of  swells  puts  me  in  mind  of  a 
certain  '  swell '  I  had  on  board  as  passenger  on  this 
occasion,  who,  while  in  Wilmington,  had  been  talking 


134  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

very  big  aljout  '  hunting,'  which  probably  he  sup- 
posed I  knew  nothing  about.  He  used  to  give  us 
long  narratives  of  his  own  exploits  in  the  hunting- 
field,  and  expatiated  on  the  excitement  of  flying  over 
ditches  and  hedges,  while  apparently  he  looked  upon 
blockade-running  and  its  petty  risks  with  sublime  con- 
tempt. Soon  after  we  crossed  the  bar  on  our  way  out 
a  gentle  breeze  and  swell  began  to  lift  the  vessel  up 
and  down,  and  this  motion  he  described  as  'very 
like  hunting.' 

Just  after  he  had  ventured  this  remark,  a  Yankee 
gun-boat  favoured  us  with  a  broadside  and  made  a 
dash  to  cut  us  ofiF.  This  part  of  the  fun,  however, 
my  friend  did  not  seem  to  think  at  all '  like  hunting,' 
and  after  having  strongly  urged  me  to  return  to  the 
anchorage  under  the  protecting  guns  of  the  fort,  he 
disappeared  below,  and  never  talked,  to  me  at  least, 
about  hunting  again. 

But  to  return  to  my  story,  there  was,  as  I  said 
before,  a  considerable  swell  running  outside,  which 
was  fortunate  for  us,  as  we  ran  almost  into  a  gun- 
boat lying  watching  unusually  close  to  the  bar.  It 
would  have  been  useless  to  turn  round  and  endeavour 
to  escape  by  going  back,  as,  if  we  had  done  so,  we 
should  inevitably  have  been  driven  on  to  the  beach, 
and  either  captured  or  destroyed.    In  such  a  predica- 


NEVER  CAUGHT t  135 

nient  tliere  was  notliing  for  it  but  to  make  a  clash 
past  and  take  the  gun-boat's  fire  and  its  consequences. 
I  knew  we  liad  the  legs  of  her,  and  therefore  felt 
more  at  ease  in  thus  running  the  gauntlet  than 
I  otherwise  should  have  done,  so  on  we  went  at 
full  speed.  She  fired  her  broadside  at  about  fifty 
yards  distance,  but  the  shot  all  passed  over  us, 
except  one  that  went  through  our  funnel.  The 
marines  on  board  of  her  kept  up  a  heavy  fire  of 
musketry  as  long  as  we  were  visible,  but  only  slightly 
wounded  one  of  our  men.  Rockets  were  then  thrown 
up  as  signals  to  her  consorts,  two  of  which  came 
down  on  us,  but  luckily  made  a  bad  guess  at  our 
position,  and  closed  with  us  on  our  quarter  instead 
of  our  bow.  They  also  opened  fire,  but  did  us  no 
injury.  At  the  moment  there  was  no  vessel  in  sight 
ahead ;  and  as  we  were  going  at  a  splendid  pace,  we 
soon  reduced  our  dangerous  companions  to  three 
or  four  shadowy  forms  struggling  astern  without  a 
hope  of  catching  us.  The  signalising  and  firing  had, 
however,  brought  several  other  blockaders  down  to 
dispute  our  passage,  and  we  found  ourselves  at  one 
moment  with  a  cruiser  on  each  side  within  a  pistol 
shot  of  us  ;  our  position  being  that  of  the  meat  in  a 
sandwich.  So  near  were  the  cruisers,  that  they 
seemed  afraid  to  fire  from  the  danger  of  hitting  each 


136  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

other,  and,  thanks  to  our  superior  speed,  we  shot 
ahead  and  left  them  without  their  having  fired  a 
shot. 

Considering  the  heavy  swell  that  was  running, 
there  was  the  merest  chance  of  their  hitting  us ;  in 
fact,  to  take  a  blockade-runner  in  the  night,  when 
there  was  a  heavy  swell  or  wind,  if  she  did  not  choose 
to  give  in,  was  next  to  impossible.  To  run  her  down 
required  the  cruiser  to  have  much  superior  speed, 
and  was  a  dangerous  game  to  play,  for  vessels  have 
been  known  to  go  down  themselves  while  acting  that 
part. 

Then,  again,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the 
blockade-runner  had  always  full  speed  at  command, 
her  steam  being  at  all  times  well  up  and  every  one 
on  board  on  the  look-out ;  whereas  the  man-of-war 
must  be  steaming  with  some  degree  of  economy  and 
ease,  and  her  look-out  men  had  not  the  excitement 
to  keep  them  always  on  the  qui  vive  that  we  had. 

I  consider  that  the  only  chances  the  blockading 
squadron  had  of  capturing  a  blockade-runner  were 
in  the  following  instances  ;  viz.,  in  a  fair  chase  in. 
daylight,  when  superior  speed  would  tell,  or  chasing 
her  on  shore,  or  driving  her  in  so  near  the  beach 
that  her  crew  were  driven  to  set  fire  to  her  and 
make  their  escape ;  in  which  case  a  prize  might  be 


NEVER  CAUGHT!  lyj 

made,  though  perhaps  of  no  great  value ;  or  frighten- 
ing a  vessel  by  guns  and  rockets  during  the  night 
into  giving  up.  Some  of  the  blockade-runners  showed 
great  pluck,  and  stood  a  lot  of  pitching  into.  About 
sixty-six  vessels  left  England  and  New  York  to  run 
the  blockade  during  the  four  years'  war,  of  which 
more  than  forty  were  destroyed  by  their  own  crews  or 
captured ;  but  most  of  them  made  several  runs  before 
they  came  to  grief,  and  in  so  doing  paid  well  for 
their  owners. 

I  once  left  Bermuda,  shortly  before  the  end  of 
the  war,  in  company  with  four  others,  and  was  the 
only  fortunate  vessel  of  the  lot.  Of  the  other  four, 
three  were  run  on  shore  and  destroyed  by  their 
own  crews,  and  one  was  fairly  run  down  at  sea  and 
captured. 

I  saw  an  extraordinarily  plucky  thing  done  on 
one  occasion,  which  I  cannot  refrain  from  narrating. 
We  had  made  a  successful  run  through  the  blockade, 
and  were  lying  under  Fort  Fisher,  when  as  daylight 
broke  we  heard  a  heavy  firing,  and  as  it  got  lighter 
we  saw  a  blockade-runner  surrounded  by  the  cruisers. 
Her  case  seemed  hopeless,  but  on  she  came  for  the 
entrance,  hunted  like  a  rabbit  by  no  end  of  vessels. 
The  guns  of  the  fort  were  at  once  manned,  ready  to 
protect  her  as  soon  as  her  pursuers  should  come 
7 


138  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

within  range.  Every  effort  was  made  to  cut  her  off 
from  the  entrance  of  the  river,  and  how  it  was  she 
was  not  sunk  I  cannot  tell.  As  she  came  on  we 
could  see  N ,  her  commander,  a  well-known  suc- 
cessful blockade-runner,  standing  on  her  paddle-box 
with  his  hat  off,  as  if  paying  proper  respect  to  the 
men-of-war.  And  now  the  fort  opened  fire  at  the 
chasing  cruisers,  from  whom  the  blockade-runner 
was  craAvling,  being  by  this  time  well  inshore.  One 
vessel  was  evidently  struck,  as  she  dropped  out  of 

range  very  suddenly.      On  came  the  '  Old  J ,' 

one  of  the  fastest  boats  in  the  trade,  and  anchored 
all  right ;  two  or  three  shots  in  her  hull,  but  no  hurt. 
Didn't  we  cheer  her !  the  reason  of  her  being  in  the 
position  in  which  we  saw  her  at  daylight  was  that 
she  had  run  the  time  rather  short,  and  daylight  broke 
before  she  could  get  into  the  river  j  so  that,  instead 
of  being  there,  she  was  in  the  very  centre  of  the 
blockading  fleet.  Many  men  would  have  given  in, 
but  old  N was  made  of  different  stuff. 

We  got  well  clear  of  the  cruisers  before  day- 
break, and  keeping  far  out  to  sea,  were  unmolested 
during  the  ran  to  Nassau,  where  we  arrived  safely 
with  our  second  cargo  of  cotton,  having  this  time 
been  eighteen  days  making  the  round  trip. 

Having  made  two  round  trips,  we  could  afford 


NEVER  CAUGHT t  139 

to  take  it  easy  for  a  short  time,  and  as  the  dark 
nights  would  not  come  on  for  three  weeks,  we  gave 
the  little  craft  a  thorough  refit,  hauling  her  up  on  a 
patent  slip  that  an  adventurous  American  had  laid 
down  especially  for  blockade-runners,  and  for  the  use 
of  which  we  had  to  pay  a  price  which  would  have 
astonished  some  of  our  large  ship-owners.  I  may 
mention  that  blockade-runners  always  lived  well  ; 
may  be  acting  on  the  principle  that  *  good  people 
are  scarce ' ;  so  we  kept  a  famous  table  and  drank 
the  best  of  wine.  An  English  man-of-war  was  lying 
in  the  harbour,  whose  officers  frequently  condescended 
to  visit  us,  and  whose  mouths  watered  at  what  they 
saw  and  heard  of  the  profits  and  pleasures  of  blockade- 
running.  Indeed,  putting  on  one  side  the  sordid 
motives  which  I  dare  say  to  a  certain  extent  actuated 
us,  there  was  a  thrilling  and  glorious  excitement 
about  the  work,  which  would  have  well  suited  some 
of  these  gay  young  fellows. 

Time  again  came  round  too  soon,  and  we  had  to 
start  on  another  trip,  and  to  tear  ourselves  away 
from  all  sorts  of  amusements,  some  of  us  from  domestic 
ties  :  for  there  were  instances  of  anxious  wives  who, 
having  followed  their  husbands  to  the  West  Indies, 
vastly  enjoyed  all  the  novelty  of  the  scene.  These 
ladies  had   their  pet  ships,  in  whose  captains  they 


I40  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

had  confidence,  and  in  wlaicli  they  sent  private  ven- 
tures into  the  Confederacy ;  and  in  this  way  some  of 
them  made  a  nice  little  addition  to  their  pin-money. 
I  don't  know  that  any  of  them  speculated  in  Cockle's 
pills  or  corsages,  but  I  heard  of  one  lady  who  sent  in 
a  large  quantity  of  yellow  soap,  and  made  an  enor- 
mous profit  out  of  her  venture. 

Having  completed  the  necessary  alterations  and 
repairs,  and  made  all  snug  for  a  fresh  run,  we 
started  again  from  the  port  of  Nassau.  We  had 
scarcely  steamed  along  the  coast  forty  miles  from 
the  mouth  of  the  harbour,  when  we  discovered 
a  steamer  bearing  down  on  us,  and  we  soon  made 
her  out  to  be  a  well-known,  very  fast  Yankee 
cruiser,  of  whom  we  were  all  terribly  afraid.  As  we 
were  still  in  British  waters,  skirting  the  shore  of  the 
Bahamas,  I  determined  not  to  change  my  course,  but 
kept  steadily  on,  always  within  a  mile  of  the  shore. 
On  the  man-of-war  firing  a  shot  across  our  bows  as 
a  signal  for  us  to  heave  to,  I  hoisted  the  English 
colours  and  anchored.  An  American  officer  came  on 
board,  who,  seeing  unmistakable  proofs  of  the  occu- 
pation we  were  engaged  in,  seemed  very  much  inclined 
to  make  a  prize  of  us  ;  but  on  my  informing  him  that 
I  claimed  exemption  from  capture  on  the  ground  of 
the  vessel  being   in   British  waters,  he,  after   due 


NEVER  CAUGHT!  141 

consideration,  sulkily  wished  me  good  morning  and 
went  back  to  his  ship.  She  continued  to  watch  us 
till  the  middle  of  the  night,  when  I  imagine  something 
else  attracted  her  attention,  and  she  steamed  away. 
We,  taking  advantage  of  her  temporary  absence, 
weighed  our  anchor  and  were  soon  far  out  at  sea. 

At  the  end  of  three  days  we  had  run  into  a 
position  about  sixty  miles  from  Wilmington  without 
any  incident  happening  worth  mentioning.  On  our 
nearing  the  blockading  squadron  at  nightfall  we 
heard  a  great  deal  of  firing  going  on  inshore,  which 
we  conjectured  (rightly  as  it  afterwards  appeared) 
was  caused  by  the  American  ships,  who  were  chasing 
and  severely  handling  a  blockade-runner.  An  idea  at 
once  struck  me,  which  I  quickly  put  into  execution. 
We  steamed  in  as  fast  as  we  could,  and  soon  made  out 
a  vessel  ahead  that  was  hurrying  in  to  help  her  consorts 
to  capture  or  destroy  the  contraband.  We  kept  close 
astern  of  her,  and  in  this  position  followed  the  cruiser 
several  miles.  She  made  signals  continually  by  flash- 
ing different  coloured  lights  rapidly  from  the  paddle- 
boxes,  the  meaning  of  which  I  tried  my  best  to  make 
out,  so  that  I  might  be  able  to  avail  myself  of  the 
knowledge  of  the  blockade  signals  at  some  future 
time ;  but  I  could  not  manage  to  make  head  or  tail 
of  them. 


142  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

Suddenly  the  firing  ceased,  and  our  pioneer 
turned  out  to  sea  again.  As  we  were  by  this  time 
very  near  inshore,  we  stopped  the  engines  and  re- 
mained quite  still,  but  unluckily  could  not  make  out 
our  exact  position. 

The  blockading  cruisers  were  evidently  very 
close  in,  so  we  did  not  like  moving  about ;  besides, 
the  pilot  was  confident  that  we  were  close  enough  to 
the  entrance  of  the  river  to  enable  us  to  run  in  when 
day  broke,  without  being  in  any  danger  from  the 
enemy. 

Thus  for  the  remainder  of  the  night  we  lay 
quite  close  to  the  beach.  Unfortunately,  however, 
about  an  hour  before  daylight  we  struck  the  shore, 
and  all  our  efibrts  to  free  the  vessel  were  of  no 
avail. 

As  the  day  dawned  we  found  that  we  were 
about  a  mile  from  Fort  Fisher,  and  that  two  of  the 
American  vessels  nearest  the  shore  were  about  a  mile 
from  us  when  we  first  made  them  out,  and  were 
steaming  to  seaward,  having  probably  been  lying 
pretty  near  to  the  river's  mouth  during  the  darkness 
of  the  night.  They  were  not  slow  to  make  us  out  in 
our  unhappy  position.  I  ordered  the  boats  to  be 
lowered,  and  gave  every  one  on  board  the  option  of 
leaving  the  vessel,  as  it  seemed  evident  that  we  were 


NEVER  CAUGHT!  143 

doomed  to  be  a  bone  of  contention  between  the  fort 
and  the  blockaders.  All  hands,  however,  stuck  to 
the  ship,  and  we  set  to  work  to  lighten  her  as  much 
as  possible.  Steam  being  got  up  to  the  highest 
pressure,  the  engines  worked  famously,  but  she  would 
not  move,  and  I  feared  the  sand  would  get  into  the 
bilges.  And  now  a  confounded  vessel  deliberately 
tried  the  range  with  her  Parrot  gun,  and  the  shot 
splashed  alongside  of  us.  Her  fire,  however,  was 
promptly  replied  to  by  Fort  Fisher.  Tlie  shot  from 
the  fort's  heavy  artillery  passed  right  over  and  close 
to  the  cruiser,  and  made  her  move  further  out,  and 
thus  spoiled  the  accuracy  of  the  range  of  our  devoted 
little  craft,  which  the  man-of-war  had  so  correctly 
obtained.  We  made  a  frantic  effort  to  get  off  our 
sandy  bed,  and  on  all  hands  running  from  one  ex- 
tremity of  the  vessel  to  the  other,  to  our  delight  she 
slipped  off  into  deep  water. 

But  our  troubles  were  not  yet  over.  To  get 
into  the  river's  mouth  it  was  necessary  to  make  a 
detour^  to  do  which  we  had  to  steer  out  towards  the 
blockading  fleet  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile  before  we 
could  turn  to  go  into  the  river.  While  we  were 
performing  this  somewhat  ticklish  manoeuvre.  Fort 
Fisher  most  kindly  opened  a  heavy  fire  fi-om  all  its 
giins,  and  thus  drew  the  attention  of  the  blockaders 


144  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

from  us.  In  twenty  minutes  from  the  time  we  got 
off  we  were  safely  at  anchor  under  the  Confederate 
batteries.  The  vessel  that  had  been  so  hard  chased 
and  fired  at  during  the  night  was  lying  safely  at  the 
anchorage,  not  very  much  damaged. 

This  was  by  far  the  most  anxious  time  we  had 
gone  through.  We  had  to  thank  the  commandant 
and  garrison  of  Fort  Fisher  for  our  escape.  Having 
paid  our  gallant  rescuers  a  visit,  we  took  a  pilot  on 
board  and  steamed  up  to  Wilmington.  Cape  Clear 
river  at  this  time  was  full  of  all  sorts  of  torpedoes 
and  obstructions,  put  down  to  prevent  any  gun-boats 
from  approaching  the  town  of  Wilmington,  should  the 
forts  at  its  entrance  be  taken  possession  of  by  the 
enemy.  And  as  the  whereabouts  of  these  obstructions 
were  only  known  to  certain  pilots,  we  had  to  be  careful 
to  have  the  right  man  on  board.  We  got  up  in  safety, 
and  finding  that  our  cargo  of  cotton  was  ready,  made 
haste  to  unload  and  prepare  for  sea  again  as  quickly 
as  possible. 

There  was  nothing  interesting  in  Wilmington, 
which  is  a  large  straggling  town  built  on  sand-hills. 
At  the  time  I  write  of  the  respectable  inhabitants 
were  nearly  all  away  from  their  homes,  and  the  town 
was  full  of  adventurers  of  all  descriptions ;  some  who 
came  to  sell  cotton,  others  to  buy  at  enormous  prices 


NEVER  CAUGHT f  145 

European  goods  brought  in  by  blockade-runners. 
These  goods  they  took  with  them  into  the  interior, 
and,  adding  a  heavy  percentage  to  the  price,  people 
who  were  forced  to  buy  them  paid  most  ruinous 
prices  for  the  commonest  necessaries  of  life. 

On  this  occasion  we  spent  a  very  short  time  at 
Wilmington,  and  having  taken  our  cargo  of  cotton, 
we  went  down  the  river  to  the  old  waiting  place 
under  the  friendly  batteries  of  Fort  Fisher.  We  had 
scarcely  anchored  when  a  heavy  fog  came  on ;  as 
the  tide  for  going  over  the  bar  did  not  suit  till  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  which  I  considered  an  awk- 
ward time,  inasmuch  as  we  should  only  have  two 
hours  of  darkness  left  in  which  to  get  our  offing  from 
the  land,  I  determined  to  go  out  in  the  fog  and  take 
my  chance  of  the  thick  weather  lasting.  I  calculated 
that  if  we  had  met  with  any  cruisers,  they  would  not 
have  been  expecting  us,  and  so  would  have  been 
under  low  steam. 

I  was  told  by  every  one  that  I  was  mad  to 
venture  out,  and  all  sorts  of  prognostications  were 
made  that  I  should  come  to  grief,  in  spite  of  which 
omens  of  disaster,  however,  I  went  over  the  bar  at  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  in  a  fog,  through  which  I 
could  hardly  see  from  one  end  of  the  ship  to  the 
other,  and  took  my  chance.     As  we  went  on  the  fog 


146  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

Beemed  to  get  if  possible  still  thicker,  and  through 
the  night  it  was  impossible  for  us  to  see  anything  or 
anything  to  see  us. 

In  the  morning  we  had  an  offing  of  at  least  a 
hundred  and  twenty  miles,  and  nothing  was  in  sight. 
"We  made  a  most  prosperous  voyage,  and  arrived  at 
Nassau  safely  in  seventy-two  hours,  thus  completing 
our  third  round  trip. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

LAST   DAYS   ON   THE    '  D N.' 

As  no  vessel  had  succeeded  since  the  blockade 
was  established  in  getting  into  Savannah  (a  large 
and  flourishing  town  in  Georgia,  situated  a  few  miles 
up  a  navigable  river  of  the  same  name),  where  there 
was  a  famous  market  for  all  sorts  of  goods,  and  where 
plenty  of  the  finest  sea-island  cotton  was  stored 
ready  for  embarkation,  and  as  the  southern  port 
pilots  were  of  opinion  that  all  that  was  required  to 
ensure  success  was  an  effort  to  obtain  it,  I  undertook 
to  try  if  we  could  manage  to  get  the  *D n'  in. 

The  principal  difficulty  we  had  to  contend  with 
was  that  the  Northerners  had  possession  of  a  large 
fortification  called  Pulaski,  which,  being  situated  at 
the  entrance  of  the  river,  commanded  the  passage  up 
to  the  town. 

To  pass  this  place  in  the  night  seemed  easy 
work  enough,  as  it  would  be  hard  for  the  sentry  to 


148  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

make  a  vessel  out  disguised  as  we  were ;  but  to 
avoid  the  shoals  and  sand-banks  at  the  river's  mouth, 
in  a  pitch-dark  night,  seemed  to  me,  after  carefully 
studying  the  chart,  to  be  a  most  difficult  matter. 
This,  however,  was  the  pilot's  business ;  all  we 
captains  had  to  do  was  to  avoid  dangers  from  the 
guns  of  ships  and  forts ;  or,  if  we  could  not  avoid 
them,  to  stand  being  fired  at. 

The  pilot  we  had  engaged  was  full  of  confidence ; 
so  much  so,  that  he  refused  to  have  any  payment 
for  his  services  until  he  had  talcen  us  in  and  out 
safely.  I  may  as  well  mention  that  there  were  few 
if  any  blockading  vessels  off  Savannah  river,  the 
Northerners  having  perfect  confidence,  I  presume, 
in  Fort  Pulaski  and  the  shoals  which  surrounded  the 
entrance  of  the  river  being  sufficient  to  prevent  any 
attempt  at  blockade-running  succeeding.  The  lights 
in  the  ship  off  Port  Royal,  a  small  harbour  in  the 
hands  of  the  Northern  Government,  a  few  miles  from 
the  entrance  to  Savannah,  were  as  bright  as  in  the 
time  of  peace,  and  served  as  a  capital  guide  to  the 
river's  mouth.  After  two  days'  run  from  Nassau  we 
arrived  without  accident  to  within  twenty  miles  of 
the  low  land  through  which  the  Savannah  river  runs, 
and  at  dark  steered  for  the  light-vessel  lying  off  Port 
Royal.     Having  made  it  out,  in  fact  steaming  close 


LAST  DAYS  ON  THE  'D N'  149 

up  to  it,  we  shaped  our  course  for  Fort  Pulaski, 
using  the  light  as  a  point  of  departure,  the  distance 
by  the  chart  being  twelve  miles.  We  soon  saw  its 
outlines  looming  through  the  darkness  ahead,  and 
formidable  though  it  looked,  it  caused  me  no  anxiety, 
compared  with  the  danger  we  seemed  to  be  in  from 
the  shoalwater  and  breakers  being  all  around  us. 
However,  the  pilot  who  had  charge  of  such  matters 
seemed  comfortable  enough. 

So  we  went  cautiously  along,  and  in  ten  minutes 
would  have  been  past  danger,  at  all  events  from  the 
batteries  on  the  fort,  when  one  of  the  severest  storms 
I  ever  remember  of  wind  and  rain,  accompanied 
by  thunder  and  lightning,  came  on,  and  enveloped 
us  in  a  most  impenetrable  darkness.  Knowing 
that  we  were  surrounded  by  most  dangerous  shoals, 
and  being  then  in  only  fifteen  feet  water,  I  felt  our 
position  to  be  a  very  perilous  one.  The  pilot  had  by 
this  time  pretty  well  lost  his  head  ;  in  fact,  it  would 
have  puzzled  anyone  to  say  where  we  were.  So  we 
turned  round  and  steered  out  to  sea  again,  by  the 
same  way  we  had  come  in ;  and  when  we  were  as 
near  as  we  could  guess  twenty  miles  from  land,  we 
let  go  our  anchor  in  fifteen  fathoms  water. 

Then  came  on  a  heavy  gale  of  wind  accompanied 
by  a  thick  fog,  which  lasted  three  days  and  nights. 


ISO  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  UFE 

I  never  in  my  life  passed  such  an  unpleasant  time, 
rolling  our  gunnels  under,  knowing  that  we  were 
drifting,  our  anchor  having  dragged,  but  in  what 
direction  it  was  difficult  to  judge ;  unable  to  cook, 
through  the  sea  we  had  shipped  having  put  our 
galley-fire  out ;  and,  worse  than  all,  burning  quantities 
of  coal,  as  we  had  to  keep  steam  always  well  up, 
ready  for  anything  that  might  happen. 

One  day  it  cleared  up  for  half  an  hour  about 
noon,  and  we  managed  to  get  meridian  observations, 
which  showed  us  that  we  had  drifted  thirty  miles  of 
latitude,  but  we  still  remained  in  ignorance  of  our 
longitude.  On  the  fourth  day  the  gale  moderated, 
the  weather  cleared  up,  and  we  ascertained  our 
position  correctly  by  obser\^ations. 

'  When  it  was  dark  we  steered  for  the  light- 
vessel  oflf  Port  Koyal,  meaning,  as  before,  to  make 
her  our  point  of  departure  for  the  entrance  of  the 
river.  But  we  went  on  and  on,  and  we  could  not 
see  the  glimmer  of  a  light  or  even  anything  of  a 
vessel  (we  found  out  afterwards  that  the  light-ship 
had  been  blown  from  her  moorings  in  the  gale).  This 
was  a  nice  mess.  The  pilot  told  us  that  to  attempt 
to  run  for  the  entrance  without  having  the  bearings 
of  the  light  to  guide  us  would  have  been  perfect 
madness.     We  had  barely  enough  coals  to  take  us 


LAST  DAYS  ON  THE  «Z> N'  151 

back  to  Nassau,  and  if  we  had  remained  dodging 
about,  waiting  for  the  light-vessel  to  be  replaced,  we 
should  have  been  worse  off  for  fuel,  of  which  we  had 
so  little  that  if  we  had  been  chased  on  our  way  back 
we  should  certainly  have  been  captured. 

So  we  started  for  Nassau,  keeping  well  in  shore 
on  the  Georgia  and  Florida  coast.  Along  this  coast 
there  were  many  small  creeks  and  rivers  where 
blockade-running  in  small  crafts,  and  even  boats, 
was  constantly  carried  on,  and  where  the  Northerners 
had  stationed  several  brigs  and  schooners  of  war, 
who  did  the  best  they  could  to  stop  the  traJBBc.  Many 
an  open  boat  has  run  over  from  the  northernmost 
island  of  the  Bahamas  group,  a  distance  of  fifty  mUes, 
and  returned  with  one  or  two  bales  of  cotton,  by  which 
her  crew  were  well  remunerated. 

We  had  little  to  fear  from  sailing  men-of-war,  as 
the  weather  was  calm  and  fine,  so  we  steamed  a  few 
miles  from  the  shore,  all  day  passing  several  of  them, 
just  out  of  range  of  their  guns.  One  vessel  tried  the 
effect  of  a  long  shot,  but  we  could  afford  to  laugh 
at  her. 

The  last  night  we  spent  at  sea  was  rather  nervous 
work.  We  had  reduced  our  coals  to  about  three 
quarters  of  a  ton,  and  had  to  cross  the  Gulf  Stream 
at  the  narrow  part  between  the  Florida  coast  and  the 


152  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

Bahamas,  a  distance  of  twentj-eiglit  miles,  where 
the  force  of  the  current  is  four  knots  an  hour.  Our 
coals  were  soon  finished.  "We  cut  up  the  available 
spars,  oars,  &c.,  burnt  a  hemp  cable  (that  by  the 
way  made  a  capital  blaze),  and  just  managed  to 
fetch  across  to  the  extreme  western  end  of  the  group 
of  islands  belonging   to    Great   Britain,  where  we 

anchored. 

We  couldn't  have  steamed  three  miles  further. 
On  the  wild  spot  where  we  anchored  there  was  for- 
tunately a  small  heap  of  anthracite  coal,  that  probably 
had  been  part  of  the  cargo  of  some  wreck,  of  which 
we  took  as  much  as  would  carry  us  to  Nassau,  and 
arrived  there  safely.  Thus  the  attempt  to  get  into 
Savannah  was  a  failure.  It  was  tried  once  afterwards 
by  a  steamer  which  managed  to  get  well  past  the  fort, 
but  which  stuck  on  a  sand-bank  shortly  after  doing  so, 
and  was  captured  in  the  morning. 

It  is  not  my  intention  to  inflict  on  my  readers 

any  more  anecdotes  of  my  own  doings  in  the '  D n  ; ' 

suffice  it  to  say  that  I  had  the  good  luck  to  make  six 
round  trips  in  her,  in  and  out  of  Wilmington,  and 
that  I  gave  her  over  to  the  chief  officer  and  went 
home  to  England  with  my  spoils.  On  arriving  at 
Southampton,  the  fii'st  thing  I  saw  in  the  *  Times  ' 
waa   a    paragraph    headed,    '  The   Capture    of   the 


LAST  DAYS  ON  THE  'D N'  153 

*  D n.'     Poor  little  craft !     I  learned  afterwards 

how  she  was  taken,  which  I  will  relate,  and  which 
will  show  that  she  died  game. 

The  officer  to  whom  I  gave  over  charge  was  as 
fine  a  specimen  of  a  seaman  as  well  can  be  imagined, 
plucky,  cool,  and  determined,  and  by  the  way  he  was 
a  bit  of  a  medico,  as  well  as  a  sailor ;  for  by  his 
beneficial  treatment  of  his  patients  we  had  very  few 
complaints  of  sickness  on  board.  As  our  small  dis- 
pensary was  close  to  my  cabin,  I  used  to  hear  the 

conversation  that  took  place  between  C and  his 

patients.     I  will  repeat  one. 

G.  *  Well,  my  man,  what's  the  matter  with 
you?' 

Patient,  *  Please,  sir,  I've  got  pains  all  over 
me.' 

G.  *  Oh,  all  over  you,  are  they  ;  that's  bad.' 

Then,  during  the  pause,  it  was  evident  something 
was  being  mixed  up,  and  I   could  hear  C say  : 

*  Here,  take  this,  and  come  again  in  the  evening.' 
(Exit  patient.)  Then  C.  said  to  himself:  '  I  don't 
think  he'll  come  again  ;  he  has  got  two  drops  of  the 
croton.  Skulking  rascal,  pains  all  over  him,  eh  ! '  I 
never  heard  the  voice  of  that  patient  again ;  in  fact, 
after  a  short  time  we  had  no  cases  of  sickness  on 
board.    C explained  to  me  that  the  only  medicine 


154  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

lie  served  out,  as  he  called  it,  was  croton  oil ;  and  that 
none  of  the  crew  came  twice  for  treatment. 

Never  having  run  through  the  blockade  as  the 
commander  of  a  vessel  (though  he  was  with  me  all 
the  time  and  had  as  much  to  do  with  our  luck  as  I 
had),  he  was  naturally  very  anxious  to  get  safely 
through.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  vessel  had 
lost  much  of  her  speed,  for  she  had  been  very  hardly 
pushed  on  several  occasions.  This  told  sadly  against 
her,  as  the  result  will  show.  On  the  third  afternoon 
after  leaving  Nassau  she  was  in  a  good  position  for 
attempting  the  run  when  night  came  on.  She  was 
moving  stealthily  about  waiting  for  the  evening, 
when  suddenly,  on  the  weather,  which  had  been 
hitherto  thick  and  hazy,  clearing  up,  she  saw  a 
cruiser  unpleasantly  near  to  her,  which  bore  down 
under  steam  and  sail,  and  it  soon  became  probable 

that  the  poor  little  'D n's'  twin  screws  would  not 

save  her  this  time,  well  and  often  as  they  had  done  so 
before. 

'  The  cruiser,  a  large  full-rigged  corvette,  was 
coming  up  hand  over  hand,  carrying  a  strong  breeze, 

and  the  days  of  the  '  D n '  seemed  numbered,  when 

C tried  a  ruse  worthy  of  any  of  the  heroes  of 

naval  history. 

The  wind,  as  I  said,  was  very  fresh,  with  a  good 


LAST  DAYS  ON  THE  'D N'  155 

deal  of  sea  running.     On  came  the  cruiser  till  the 

*  D n  '  was  almost  under  her  bows,  and  shortened 

sail  in  fine  style.     The  moment  the  men  were  in  the 

rigging,  going  aloft  to  furl  the  sails,  C put  his 

plan  into  execution.  He  turned  his  craft  head  to 
wind,  and  steamed  deliberately  past  the  corvette  at 
not  fifty  yards'  distance.  She,  with  great  way  on, 
went  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  before  she  could 
turn. 

I  have  it  from  good  authority  that  the  order  was 
not  given  to  the  marines  on  the  man-of-war's  poop 
to  fire  at  the  plucky  little  craft  who  had  so  fairly 
out-manoeuvred  the  cruiser,  for  out-manoeuvred  she 
was  to  all  intents  and  purposes.  The  two  or  three 
guns  that  had  been  cast  loose  during  the  chase  had 
been  partially  secured,  and  left  so  while  the  men  had 
gone  aloft  to  furl  the  sails,  so  that  not  a  shot  was  fired 
as  she  went  past.  Shortly  after  she  had  done  so, 
however,  the  cruiser  opened  fire  with  her  bow  guns, 
but  with  the  sea  that  was  running  it  could  do  no 

harm,  being  without  any  top  weights.   The  '  D n ' 

easily  dropped  the  corvette  with  her  heavy  spars 
astern,  and  was  soon  far  ahead;  so  much  so  that 
when  night  came  on  the  cruiser  was  shut  out  of 
sight  in  the  darkness. 

After  this  the '  D n  '  deserved  to  escape,  but  it 


IS6  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

was  otherwise  fated.  The  next  morning  when  day 
broke  she  was  within  three  miles  of  one  of  the  new 
fast  vessels,  which  had  come  out  on  her  trial  trip, 
flying  light,  alas !  She  had  an  opportunity  of  trying 
her  speed  advantageously  to  herself.     She  snapped 

up  the  poor  '  D n  '  in  no  time,  and  took  her  into 

the  nearest  port.     I  may  mention  that  the  '  D n  ' 

and  her  captain  were  well  known  and  much  sought 
after  by  the  American  cruisers.  The  first  remark 
that  the  officer  made  on  coming  aboard  her  was : 
'  Well,  Captain  Roberts,  so  we  have  caught  you  at 
last ! '  and  he  seemed  much  disappointed  when  he 
was  told  that  the  captain  they  so  particularly  wanted 
went  home  in  the  last  mail.     The  corvette  which  had 

chased  and  been  cheated  by  the  '  D n '  the  day 

before  was  lying  in  the  port  into  which  she  was 
taken.  Her  captain,  when  he  saw  the  prize,  said : 
'  I  must  go  on  board  and  shake  hands  with  the  gallant 
fellow  who  commands  that  vessel ! '  and  he  did  so, 

warmly  complimenting  C on  the  courage  he  had 

shown,  thus  proving  that  he  could  appreciate  pluck, 
and  that  American  naval  men  did  not  look  down  on 
blockade-running  as  a  grievous  sin,  hard  work  as  it 
gave  them  in  trying  to  put  a  stop  to  it.  They  were 
sometimes  a  little  severe  on  men  who,  after  having 
been  fairly  caught  in  a  chase  at  sea,  wantonly  de- 


LAST  DAYS  ON   THE  'Z? N'  157 

stroyed  their  compasses,  chronometers,  &c.,  rather 
than  let  them  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  cruiser's 
officers.  I  must  say  that  I  was  always  prepared,  had 
I  been  caught,  to  have  made  the  best  of  things,  to 
have  given  the  officers  who  came  to  take  possession 
all  that  they  had  fairly  gained  by  luck  having  de- 
clared on  their  side,  and  to  have  had  a  farewell  glass 
of  champagne  with  the  new  tenant  at  the  lute  owner's 
expense.  The  treatment  received  by  persons  cap- 
tured engaged  in  running  the  blockade  differed  very 
materially.  If  a  bond  fide  American  man-of-war  of 
the  old  school  made  the  capture,  they  were  always 
treated  with  kindness  by  their  captors.  But  there 
were  among  the  officers  of  vessels  picked  up  hurriedly 
and  employed  by  the  Government  a  very  rough  lot, 
who  rejoiced  in  making  their  prisoners  as  uncomfort- 
able as  possible.  They  seemed  to  have  only  one 
good  quality,  and  this  was  that  there  were  among 
them  many  good  freemasons,  and  frequently  a  prisoner 
found  the  advantage  of  having  been  initiated  into  the 
brotherhood. 

The  *  D n's  '  crew  fell  into  very  good  hands, 

and  till  they  arrived  at  New  York  were  comfortable 
enough ;  but  the  short  time  they  spent  in  prison 
there,  while  the  vessel  was  undergoing  the  mockery 
of  a  trial    in   the  Admiralty   Court,  was  far   from 


158  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

pleasant.  However,  it  did  not  last  very  long — not 
more  tlian  ten  days ;  and  as  soon  as  they  were  free 
most  of  them  went  back  to  Nassau  or  Bermuda  ready 

for  more  work.     C came  to  England  and  told 

me  all  his  troubles.  Poor  fellow !  I  am  afraid  his 
services  were  not  half  appreciated  as  they  ought  to 
have  been,  for  success,  in  blockade-running  as  in 
everything  else,  is  a  virtue,  whereas  bad  luck,  even 
though  accompanied  with  the  pluck  of  a  hero,  is 
always  more  or  less  a  crime  not  to  be  forgiven. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

RICHMOND   DURING   THE   SIEGE. 

After  the  excitement  of  the  last  six  or  eight 
months  I  could  not  long  rest  in  England,  satisfied 
with  the  newspaper  accounts  of  the  goings  on  in  the 
blockade-running  world.  So  I  got  the  command  of 
a  new  and  very  fast  paddle-wheel  vessel,  and  went 
out  again.  The  American  Government  had  deter- 
mined to  do  everything  in  its  power  to  stop  blockade- 
running,  and  had  lately  increased  the  force  of 
blockaders  on  the  southern  coast  by  some  very  fast 
vessels  built  at  New  York.  Being  aware  of  this, 
some  of  the  first  shipbuilders  in  England  and  Scotland 
were  put,  by  persons  engaged  in  blockade-running, 
on  their  mettle,  to  try  and  build  steamers  to  beat 
them,  and  latterly  it  became  almost  a  question  of 
speed,  especially  in  the  daylight  adventures,  between 
blockaders  and  blockade-runners. 

Some  of  the  vessels  on  this  side  of  the  water 


i6o  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

were  constructed  regardless  of  any  good  quality  but 
speed,  consequently  tlieir  scantling  was  light,  and 
their  seagoing  qualities  very  inferior.  Many  of  them 
came  to  grief;  two  or  three  swamped  at  sea ;  others, 
after  being  out  a  few  days,  struggled  back  into 
Queenstown,  the  lamest  of  lame  ducks ;  while  some 
got  out  as  far  as  Nassau  quite  unfit  for  any  further 
work. 

My  vessel  was  one  of  the  four  built  by  R 

and  G of  Glasgow,  and  was  just  strong  enough 

to  stand  the  heavy  cross  sea  in  the  Gulf  Stream. 
She  was  wonderfully  fast,  and,  taking  her  all  in  all, 
was  a  success.  On  one  occasion  I  had  a  fair  race  in 
the  open  day  with  one  of  the  best  of  the  new  vessels 
that  the  American  Government  had  sent  out  to  beat 
creation  wherever  she  could  meet  it,  and  I  fairly  ran 
away  from  her. 

On  arriving  at  Wilmington  in  my  new  vessel  I 
started  to  have  a  look  at  Richmond,  which  city  was 
then  besieged  on  its  southern  and  eastern  sides  by 
General  Grant,  who,  however,  was  held  in  check  by 
Lee  at  Petersburg,  a  small  town  situated  in  an 
important  position  about  eighteen  miles  from  the 
capital.  To  get  to  Richmond  was  not  easily  accom- 
plished without  making  a  long  detour  into  the 
interior  (for  which  we  had  no  time),  for  the  outposts 


RICHMOND  DURING  THE  SIEGE         i6i 

of  the  contending  armies  disputed  possession  of  the 
last  forty  miles  of  the  railroad  between  Wilmington 
and  Petersburg,  the  latter  town  being  on  the  line 
to  Richmond.  As  telegraphic  communication  was 
stopped,  it  was  a  difficult  matter  to  ascertain,  day  by 
day,  whether  a  train  could  pass  safely. 

We  had  in  our  party  the  young  General  Gustos 
Lee,  a  nephew  of  the  Confederate  commander-in- 
chief,  on  his  way  to  his  uncle's  headquarters,  who 
kindly  offered  his  assistance  in  getting  us  through. 
When  we  arrived  at  a  station  some  forty  miles  from 
Richmond  we  found,  as  we  feared  would  be  the  case, 
our  further  progress  by  rail  impracticable,  but  we 
got  hold  of  a  couple  of  waggons  drawn  by  mules, 
into  which  we  managed  to  stow  ourselves  and  bag- 
gage ;  the  latter,  by  the  way,  being  of  considerable 
importance,  as  it  contained  several  cases  of  drinkables, 
not  to  be  obtained  for  love  or  money  where  we  were 
going  to.  We  travelled  through  all  sorts  of  by- 
lanes,  bumped  almost  to  pieces  for  four  miles,  steer- 
ing in  the  direction  of  the  headquarters  of  the  cavalry 
outposts,  which  were  commanded  by  a  celebrated 
raiding  officer,  also  a  nephew  of  the  commander-in- 
chief.  At  last  we  found  ourselves  in  a  beautiful 
green  valley  surrounded  by  thick  woods,  where  the 
general  and  his  staff  were  quartered.  He  had  with 
8 


i62  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

him  two  or  three  thousand  cavalry,  who,  in  spite  of 
their  bad  clothing  and  somewhat  hungry  appearance, 
were  as  fine-looking  a  body  of  men  as  one  would 
wish  to  see. 

The    general    and   his    staff    gave    us    a   hearty 

welcome.     Poor  fellows,  it  was  all  they  had  to  offer ! 

We  on  our  part  produced  sundry  cases  of  sardines, 

Bologna   sausages,  and  other  tempting  condiments 

»  wherewith  to  make  a  feast. 

The  drink  we  mixed  in  two  horse  buckets  cleaned 
up  for  the  occasion ;  a  dozen  or  so  of  claret,  a  couple 
of  bottles  of  brandy,  and  half  a  dozen  of  soda  water, 
the  whole  cooled  with  two  or  three  lumps  of  ice  (of 
which  article,  as  if  in  mockery,  the  Southerners  had 
heaps).  All  these  good  things  were  duly  appreciated, 
not  only  by  our  new  friends,  who  for  months  past 
had  tasted  nothing  but  coarse  rye-bread  and  pork 
washed  down  with  water,  but  also  by  well-shaken 
travellers  like  ourselves.  Lying  on  the  grass  in  that 
lovely  spot,  it  seemed  as  if  the  war  and  all  its  horrors 
were  for  the  moment  forgotten.  There  were  several 
Englishmen  among  the  officers  composing  the  staff, 
who  had  (they  said)  come  out  here  to  see  active 
service,  which  they  unquestionably  had  found  to 
their  hearts'  content.  They  seemed  the  sort  of  men 
who   would   do   credit  to   their   country.      I   often 


RICHMOND  DURING   THE  SIEGE         163 

wonder  what  lias  become  of  them  ;  in  one  of  them  I 
was  particularly  interested.  He  said  his  name  was 
Cavendish,  but  it  may  have  been  a  7iom  de  guerre. 

While  we  were  in  the  camp  a  picket  came  in, 
whose  officer  reported  having  had  a  skirmish  with  the 
enemy,  in  which  the  Northerners  had  been  whipped. 
The  way  the  cavalry  outposts  engaged  with  each 
other  was  curious  enough.  The  ground  they  met  on 
did  not  admit  of  cavalry  charges  being  made,  as  thick 
underwood  covered  the  country  for  miles  round.  So, 
when  they  were  inclined  for  a  brush,  they  dismounted, 
tied  their  horses  to  trees,  and  skirmished  in  very  open 
lines,  every  man  picking  out  his  special  enemy. 
"When  they  had  had  enough  of  it,  they  picked  up 
their  killed  and  wounded,  and,  mounting  their  horses, 
rode  away. 

After  passing  four  or  five  hours  with  our  cavalry 
friends  we  bade  them  good-bye,  and  started  (still 
accompanied  by  our  valuable  companion,  the  young 
general)  on  our  way  to  the  headquarters  of  the  army, 
where  we  were  to  pass  the  night.  It  was  well  for 
us  that  we  travelled  in  such  good  company,  for  having 
to  pass  all  along  the  outskirts  of  the  Southern  army, 
we  were  constantly  stopped  and  interrogated  by 
patrols  and  pickets.  Besides  which  we  were  some- 
times disagreeably  near  to  the  outposts  of  the  '  boys 


i64  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

in  blue,'  as  Grant's  men  were  called.  Having  arrived 
very  late  in  tlie  evening  at  our  destination,  we 
bivouacked  under  the  trees  close  to  the  headquarters 
of  the  general  commanding,  who  was  away  at  the 
front,,  and  not  expected  back  till  the  next  evening. 
The  rattle  of  musketry  and  the  boom  of  heavy  guns 
all  through  the  night  reminded  us  of  our  vicinity  to 
the  theatre  of  war,  and  somewhat  disturbed  our  rest. 
But  if  we  were  a  little  nervous,  we  took  care  not  to 
show  it.  In  the  morning  we  started  in  our  waggons, 
and,  after  travelling  a  few  miles  across  the  country, 
came  to  the  railway  that  connected  the  camp  with 
Richmond.  A  train  shortly  afterwards  picked  us  up 
and  landed  us  at  the  capital  of  Virginia,  where  we 
took  up  our  quarters  at  a  comfortable-looking  hotel. 
There  was  more  to  drink  and  eat  here  than  at 
Charleston,  consequently  people  had  cheerful  counte- 
nances. Liquor  was,  however,  dear,  brandy  being 
sold  at  twenty-five  shillings  per  bottle,  it  having  to 
be  run  through  the  blockade.  Here  we  found  that 
the  people  had  that  wonderful  blind  confidence  in  the 
Southern  cause  which  had  mainly  supported  them 
through  all  difficulties. 

At  this  moment,  though  a  line  of  earthworks 
hurriedly  thrown  up  in  a  few  hours  at  Petersburg  was 
nearly  all  that  kept  Grant's  well-organised  army  from 


RICHMOND  DURING   THE  SIEGE         165 

entering  the  capital ;  though  the  necessaries  of  war, 
and  even  of  life,  were  growing  alarmingly  short ; 
though  the  soldiers  were  badly  fed,  and  only  half- 
clothed  or  protected  from  the  inclemency  of  the 
weather  (one  blanket  being  all  that  was  allowed  to 
three  men),  still  every  one  seemed  satisfied  that  the 
South  would  somehow  or  other  gain  the  day,  and 
become  an  independent  nation. 

While  in  Richmond  I  had  the  pleasure  of  making 
the  acquaintance  of  the  talented  correspondent  of  the 
*  Times,'  who,  although  in  a  position  to  look  on  calmly 
at  passing  events,  was  so  carried  away  by  his  admira- 
tion of  the  wonderful  pluck  shown  by  the  Southerners, 
and  by  the  general  enthusiasm  of  the  people  among 
whom  he  lived,  that  he  allowed  himself  to  be  buoyed 
up  with  the  hope  that  something  would  eventually 
turn  up  in  their  favour,  and  in  his  letters  never 
seemed  to  despair.  Had  he  done  otherwise  he  would 
have  stood  alone,  so  he  swam  with  the  tide ;  whereas 
all  of  us,  especially  those  who  were  mere  lookers-on, 
should  have  seen  the  end  coming  months  before  we 
were  obliged  to  open  our  eyes  to  the  fact  that  it  was 
come.  Through  his  acquaintance  with  the  big-wigs, 
we  managed  to  get  a  few  of  them  to  accept  an  invita- 
tion to  a  feed,  as  we  could  offer  luxuries  such  as  could 
not  be  found  in  Richmond. 


i66  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

Some  of  the  first  men  in  the  Confederacy 
honoured  us  with  their  company,  and  made  themselves 
uncommonly  agreeable,  seeming  quite  a  jolly  set  of 
fellows.  I  fear  that  they  have  nearly  all  come  to 
grief  since  then,  except  Mr.  Benjamin,  the  Minister 
of  Foreign  Affairs,  who  before  his  death,  which 
occurred  several  years  after  the  time  that  I  write, 
made  himself  a  name  in  England  worthy  of  his  high 
talents  and  education. 

I  had  the  honour,  while  in  Richmond,  of  being 
invited  to  a  tea  party  by  Mrs.  Davis,  the  President's 
wife,  which  I  thought  very  interesting.  The  ladies 
were  all  dressed  in  deep  mourning ;  some  (the  greater 
part)  for  the  sad  reason  that  they  had  lost  near  and 
dear  relatives  in  the  wretched  war,  the  others,  I 
suppose,  were  in  mourning  for  their  country's  mis- 
fortunes. Mrs.  Davis  moved  about  the  room  saying 
something  civil  to  every  one,  while  the  President, 
though  a  stern-looking  man  who  never  smiled, 
tried  to  make  himself  agreeable  to  his  guests,  and 
gave  one  the  idea  of  a  thorough  gentleman.  I 
saw  there  military  officers  who  had  lately  come 
from  the  front,  surrounded  by  groups  of  people 
anxious  for  news;  delegates  from  distant  seceding 
States ;  messengers  from  Hood's  army,  about  which 
many  were  beginning  to  bo  anxious ;  sympathising 


RICHMOND  DURING   THE  SIEGE         167 

foreigners,  government  officials,  and  many  otliers. 
The  whole  of  the  conversation  naturally  related  to 
the  prospects  of  the  cause,  and  no  one  would  have 
guessed  from  what  he  heard  in  President  Davis's 
house  that  the  end  was  so  near. 

I  was  anxious  before  my  return  to  see  something 
of  the  army  that  had  so  long  defended  Richmond. 
So  I  only  remained  a  few  days  at  the  capital,  after 
which  I  left  it  and  its,  alas !  too  confiding  inhabitants, 
and  made  my  way  as  best  I  could  to  the  head- 
quarters of  the  commander-in-chief.  There  I  pre- 
sented my  letters  of  introduction  to  General  Lee. 

It  would  perhaps  be  impertinence  on  my  part 
to  attempt  to  eulogise  the  character  of  this  excellent 
man  and  good  soldier,  who,  most  thoroughly  believing 
in  the  justice  of  the  Southern  cause,  had  sacrificed 
everything  he  possessed  in  its  behalf,  and  had  thrown 
all  his  energy  and  talent  into  the  scale  in  its  favour. 
Many  who  knew  him  well  have  done  and  will  con- 
tinue to  do  justice  to  his  patriotism  and  self-denial. 
I  had  a  very  long  conversation  with  him,  which  I 
wish  I  could  repeat  without  being  guilty  of  a  breach 
of  confidence,  as  evidence  of  the  sensible  notions  he 
had  formed  of  the  state  of  affairs  in  the  South.  He 
was  the  only  man  I  met  during  my  travels  who  took 
a  somewhat  gloomy  view  of  the  military  prospects  of 


i68  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

the  country — of  whicii,  as  a  soldier,  tliere  could  be 
no  better  judge. 

After  spending  twenty-four  hours  in  the  camp, 
we  went  to  the  railway  station  to  see  if  we  could  get 
places  for  Wilmington.  We  found  that  the  line  was 
in  the  hands  of  the  Southerners,  and  that  although 
the  '  boys  in  blue  '  had  a  vulgar  habit  of  firing  into 
the  carriages  as  they  passed,  the  trains  were  running 
each  night.  But  a  train  running  and  a  non-combatant 
passenger  getting  a  place  in  a  carriage  were  widely 
different  things,  every  available  seat  being  taken  up 
by  sick  and  wounded  soldiers.  I  made  a  frantic 
effort  to  get  into  the  train  somehow,  and  after  a 
severe  struggle  succeeded  in  scrambling  into  a  sort 
of  horse-box  and  sat  me  down  on  a  long  deal  box, 
which  seemed  rather  a  comfortable  place  to  sleep  on. 
It  was  pitch  dark  when  I  got  into  the  train,  and 
we  were  obliged  to  keep  in  the  dark  until  we  had 
run  the  gauntlet  of  the  Northern  pickets,  who  favoured 
us  with  a  volley  or  two  at  a  long  range  from  the 
hills  overlooking  the  railway.  When  we  were  clear 
of  them  I  lighted  a  match,  and  to  my  horror  found 
that  I  was  comfortably  lounging  on  a  coffin.  I  wished 
I  had  not  thrown  a  light  on  the  subject,  but  by 
degrees,  becoming  accustomed  I  suppose  to  my  posi- 
tion, I  sank  into  a  comfortable  sleep  and  was  really 


RICHMOND  DURING   THE  SIEGE         169 

quite  sorry  wlieiij  on  arriving  at  some  station  just 
before  daylight,  people  came  to  remove  my  peculiar 
though  far  from  uncomfortable  couch.  I  felt  its 
loss  the  more,  for  in  its  place  they  put  a  poor  fellow 
wounded  nearly  to  death,  whose  moans  and  cries 
were,  beyond  anything,  distressing.  We  were  a  long 
time  getting  to  Wilmington,  as  it  was  necessary  to  stop 
and  repair  most  of  the  bridges  on  the  line  before  the 
train  could  venture  over  them,  an  operation  at  which 
all  passengers  sound  in  wind  and  limb  had  to  assist. 

On  arriving  there  we  found  all  the  world  in  a 
state  of  great  excitement,  on  account  of  there  having 
been  a  terrible  fire  among  the  cotton  lying  on  the 
quays  ready  for  embarkation,  supposed  to  have  been 
the  work  of  an  incendiary. 

The  recollections  of  my  last  proceedings  in  the 
blockade-running  are  far  from  pleasant,  and  I  shall 
pass  them  over  as  briefly  as  possible. 

'  When  we  had  only  the  American  Government 
cruisers  to  fear,  we  enjoyed  the  excitement  in  the 
same  way  as  a  man  enjoys  fox-hunting  (only,  by  the 
way,  we  were  the  fox  instead  of  the  huntsmen),  but 
when  dire  disease,  in  the  worst  form  that  Yellow 
Jack  could  take,-  stalked  in  amongst  us,  and  reduced 
our  numbers  almost  hourly,  things  became  too  serious 
to  be  pleasant. 


I70  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

However,  before  tlie  fever  showed  itself  we 
made  one  successful  round  trip  in  the  new  vessel  (in 
and  out)  in  capital  form,  having  some  exciting  chases 
and  little  adventures,  all  very  similar  to  what  I  have 
described  before,  the  vessel  doing  credit  to  her  de- 
signers on  all  occasions.  We  landed  one  thousand 
one  hundred  and  forty  bales  of  cotton  at  Bermuda, 
and  it  was  after  we  had  started  from  Wilmington  on 
our  second  trip  that  the  horrid  yellow  fever  broke 
out  among  us.  I  believe  that  every  precaution  was 
taken  by  the  Government  of  the  island  to  prevent 
the  disease  from  spreading,  but  increased  by  the 
drunkenness,  dissipation,  and  dirty  habits  of  the 
crews  of  the  blockade-runners,  and  the  wretchedly 
bad  drainage  of  the  town  of  St.  George,  it  had  lately 
broken  out  with  great  violence,  and  had  spread  like 
wildfire,  both  on  the  shore  and  among  the  shipping. 
It  must  have  been  brought  on  board  our  ship  by 
some  of  the  men,  who  had  been  spending  much  time 
on  shore ;  we  had  not  been  twenty-four  hours  at  sea 
before  the  fever  had  got  deadly  hold  on  our  crew. 

We  went  to  Halifax,  where  we  landed  our  sick 
and  inhaled  some  purer  air  ;  but  it  was  of  no  avail. 
The  fever  was  in  the  vessel  and  we  could  not  shake 
it  off.  The  poor  fellows  as  soon  as  we  were  out  at 
sea  again  began  to  drop  off.     I  never  can  forget  an 


YELLOW  FEVER  171 

incident  of  that  voyage,  which,  as  it  could  only  have 
happened  during  blockade-running  times,  I  will 
mention,  melancholy  though  it  was.  Two  men  died 
in  the  middle  watch  one  night,  when  we  were  in  very 
dangerous  waters.  Their  bodies  were  wrapped  in 
rough  shrouds,  ready  to  be  committed  to  the  deep 
when  daylight  broke,  as  we  dared  not  show  a  light 
whereby  to  read  the  Funeral  Service.  I  never  waited 
so  anxiously  or  thought  the  dawn  so  long  in  coming. 
I  was  waiting  with  my  Prayer-book  in  my  hands 
straining  my  eyes  to  make  out  the  service  ;  the  men 
with  their  hats  off,  standing  by  the  bodies,  ready  to 
ease  them  down  into  the  sea.  Our  minds  I  fear 
wandered  towards  the  danger  that  existed  (almost  to 
a  certainty)  of  a  cruiser  making  us  out  by  the  same 
light  that  enabled  us  to  perform  our  sad  office. 
However,  as  soon  as  there  was  light  enough,  the 
service  was  read  without  any  indecent  hurry,  and 
fortunately  nothing  was  in  sight  to  disturb  us  for 
several  hours  afterwards. 

It  was  miserable  work.  That  morning  about 
seven  o'clock  a  man  came  up  from  the  engine-room, 
and  whUe  trying  to  say  something  to  me  fell  down 
in  a  fit,  and  was  dead  in  half  an  hour.  There  was 
quite  a  panic  among  us  all,  and  as  if  to  make  things 
worse   to    the    superstitious    sailors,    whenever   we 


172  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

stopped  several  horrid  sharks  immediately  showed 
themselves  swimming  round  the  vessel.  The  men 
lost  all  heart,  and  would  I  think  have  been  thankful 
to  have  been  captured,  as  a  means  of  escape  from 
what  they  believed  to  be  a  doomed  vessel.  Taking 
into  consideration  that  if  we  got  into  Wilmington 
we  should,  with  this  dreadful  disease  on  board,  have 
been  put  into  almost  interminable  quarantine  (for 
the  inhabitants  of  Wilmington  having  been  decimated 
before  by  yellow  fever,  which  was  introduced  by 
blockade-runners,  had  instituted  the  most  severe 
sanitary  laws),  I  determined  to  go  back  to  Halifax. 

On  arriving  there  I  was  taken  very  ill  with 
yellow  fever,  and  on  my  recovery  made  up  my 
mind  to  give  up  blockade-running  for  ever  and  all. 
The  game  indeed  was  fast  drawing  to  a  close.  Its 
decline  was  caused  in  the  first  by  the  impolitic 
behaviour  of  the  people  at  Wilmington,  who,  pro- 
fessedly acting  under  orders  from  the  Confederate 
Government  at  Richmond,  pressed  the  blockade- 
runners  into  their  service  to  carry  out  cotton  on 
Government  account,  in  such  an  arbitrary  manner 
that  the  profit  to  their  owners,  who  had  been  put  to 
an  enormous  expense  and  risk  in  sending  vessels  in, 
was  so  much  reduced  that  the  ventures  hardly  paid. 
And  when  at  last  Fort  Fisher  was  taken,  and  thus 


YELLOW  FEVER  173 

all  blockade-running  entirely  put  an  end  to,  the 
enterprise  had  lost  much  of  its  charm ;  for,  unromantic 
as  it  may  seem,  much  of  that  charm  consisted  in 
money-making. 

However,  I  will  mention  one  or  two  instances  to 
show  what  the  love  of  enterprise  will  lead  men  to  do, 
and  with  these  I  will  close  my  narration. 

On  the  first  night  of  the  attack  on  Fort  Fisher, 
which  it  may  be  remembered  was  a  failure  entirely 
through  bad  management,  though  its  little  garrison 
fought  like  lions,  a  blockade-runner  unaware  of  what 
was  going  on,  finding  that  the  blockading  squadron 
was  very  near  inshore  and  hearing  a  great  deal  of 
firing,  kept  creeping  nearer  to  the  fort,  till  she  was 
near  enough  to  make  out  what  they  were  doing. 
Judging  rightly  that  they  would  never  suspect  that 
any  attempt  would  be  made  to  run  the  blockade  at 
such  a  time,  she  joined  a  detachment  of  gun-boats 
and  went  deliberately  in  as  one  of  them.  When 
they,  being  repulsed,  had  steamed  away,  our  friend 
remained  at  anchor  under  the  fort,  much  to  the 
astonishment  of  the  garrison.  It  would  have  been 
rather  awkward  if  the  fort  had  been  taken,  but  in 
such  times  no  one  looks  very  far  ahead. 

Another  vessel  went  out  from  Wilmington  the 
same  night,  and  was  unmolested.     But  fortune  does 


174  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

not  always  favour  the  brave.  Fort  Fisher  was  at 
last  taken  unheknow7ist,  as  the  sailors  say,  to  the 
blockade-runners  at  Nassau  or  Bermuda,  at  which 
places  the  blindest  confidence  was  still  felt  in  every- 
thing connected  with  the  fortunes  of  the  South,  and 
where  to  whisper  an  opinion  that  any  mishap  might 
happen  to  Wilmington  was  positively  dangerous. 
The  crafty  Northerners  placed  the  lights  for  going  over 
the  bar  as  usual.  The  blockade-runners  came  cau- 
tiously on,  and  congratulating  themselves  at  seeing 
no  cruisers  ran  gaily  into  the  port.  The  usual  feast- 
ing and  rejoicings  were  about  to  commence  when  a 
boat  full  of  armed  men  came  alongside,  and  astonished 
them  by  telling  them  that  they  were  in  the  lion's 
mouth.  This  happened  to  four  or  five  vessels  before 
the  news  had  reached  the  islands.  It  was  hard  lines, 
no  doubt,  but  quite  fair  play.  It  was  the  blockaders' 
turn  to  laugh  noAv. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


THE   LAND   BLOCKADE. 


I  HAVE  now  come  to  the  end  of  my  blockade- 
running  yarns.  I  have  endeavoured  to  avoid  giving 
offence  to  anyone  :  to  the  American  officers  and  men 
who  manned  the  cruisers  I  can,  as  a  nautical  man, 
truly  and  honestly  give  the  credit  of  having  most 
zealously  performed  their  hard  and  wearisome  duty. 
It  was  not  their  fault  that  I  did  not  visit  New  York 
at  the  Government's  expense  ;  but  the  old  story  that 
'  blockades,  to  be  legal,  must  be  efficient,'  is  a  tale  for 
bygone  days.  So  long  as  batteries  at  the  entrance  of 
the  port  blockaded  keep  ships  at  a  respectable  dis- 
tance, the  blockade  will  be  broken. 

A  practical  suggestion  that  my  experience  during 
the  time  I  was  a  witness  of  the  war  in  America  would 
lead  me  to  make  is,  that,  both  for  the  purposes  of  war 
and  of  blockade,  speed  is  the  most  important  object 
to  attain.   Towards  the  end  of  that  contest,  blockade- 


176  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

running  became  much  more  difficult,  in  fact,  was 
very  nearly  put  a  stop  to,  not  by  tbe  ports  becoming 
more  effectually  closed  to  traffic,  but  by  the  sea  being 
literally  covered  with  very  fast  vessels,  who  picked 
up  many  blockade-runners  at  sea  during  the  day- 
time, especially  when  they  had  their  heavy  cargoes 
of  cotton  on  board.  Tlie  Americans  are  also  perfectly 
alive  to  the  fact  that,  for  purposes  of  war,  speed  is 
all  important.  An  American  officer  of  rank  once 
remarked  to  me :  '  Give  me  a  fifteen-knot  wooden 
vessel  armed  with  four  heavy  guns  of  long  range,  and 
I'll  laugh  at  your  lumbering  iron-clads.'  Perhaps  he 
had  prize-money  in  view  when  he  said  so ;  or,  what  is 
still  more  important,  he  may  have  felt  how  easily 
such  vessels  as  those  he  proposed  would  sweep  the 
seas  of  foreign  privateers.  In  these  views  I  can  but 
think  he  was  right  and  far-seeing.  Time  will  show. 
It  may  have  struck  my  readers  as  strange  that, 
in  a  country  with  so  large  an  inland  boundary,  the 
necessaries  of  life  and  munitions  of  war  could  not 
have  been  introduced  into  the  Southern  States  by 
their  extensive  frontiers  :  but  it  is  only  a  just  tribute 
to  the  wonderful  energy  shown  by  the  Northern 
Americans  during  the  civil  war,  to  state  that  the 
blockade  by  land  was  as  rigid  as  that  enforced  by 
their  fleets ;  and  almost  as  much  risk  was  run  by 


THE  LAND  BLOCKADE  177 

persons  who  broke  the  land  blockade  as  by  those 
who  evaded  the  vigilance  of  the  cruisers  at  sea.  The 
courses  of  the  large  inland  rivers  were  protected  by 
gun-boats,  and  on  account  of  the  rapids  and  other 
impediments,  such  as  snags,  with  which  they  were 
filled,  the  fords  or  passes  for  boats  were  few  and  far 
between,  and  thus  easily  guarded ;  besides  which,  it 
was  always  a  difficult  matter  to  avoid  the  pickets 
belonging  to  either  party,  who  were  very  apt  to 
suspect  a  man  they  found  creeping  about  without 
any  ostensible  object,  and  anyone  suspected  of  being 
a  spy  in  those  days  had  a  short  shrift  and  a  long  rope 
applied  before  he  knew  where  he  was.  More  from 
a  spirit  of  enterprise  than  from  any  other  reason,  I 
determined  to  see  what  the  land  blockade  was  like, 
and  while  at  Richmond,  happening  to  meet  another 
adventurous  individual  also  so  inclined,  we  commenced 
our  plan  of  campaign. 

First  of  all  (by  the  way,  I  ought  to  mention  that 
we  were  both  nautical  parties)  we  engaged  a  pilot, 
thereby  meaning  a  man  who  had  a  canoe  or  two 
stowed  away  in  different  parts  of  the  woods,  and  who 
was  well  acquainted  with  the  passes  on  the  river. 
Our  amiable  friend,  the  correspondent  of  the  '  Times,' 
showed  so  much  confidence  in  our  success  that  he 
entrusted  to  our  care  a  packet  of  despatches,  which 


178  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

were  intended,  if  we  got  tlirough  successfully,  to 
delight  the  eyes  of  the  readers  of  the  '  Thunderer ' 
some  weeks  afterwards. 

We  had  to  buy  a  horse  and  buggy,  as  naturally 
enough  no  one  would  let  them  out  on  hire  for  such 
an  enterprise;  besides,  those  were  not  days  when 
men  let  out  anything  on  hire  that  they  could  not 
keep  in  sight.  However,  we  sent  a  man  on  before 
us,  in  company  with  the  pilot,  to  a  station  some 
miles  from  the  frontier,  whose  business  it  was  to 
bring  the  trap  back  when  we  had  done  with  it.  We 
stowed  in  our  haversacks  a  pair  of  dry  stockings,  a 
good  stock  of  tobacco,  and  a  couple  of  bottles  of 
brandy,  against  the  road ;  we  also  had  passes  to  pro- 
duce in  the  event  of  questions  being  asked  by  the 
patrols  on  the  Southern  side  of  the  frontier. 

All  being  ready,  we  started,  leaving  Richmond  at 
four  o'clock  in  the  morning.  We  travelled  on  a  long, 
dreary,  dusty  road  all  day,  stopping  about  noon  for 
two  hours  at  a  free  nigger's  hut,  where  we  got  some 
yams  and  milk,  and  about  sunset  arrived  at  the 
station  above  mentioned,  at  which  we  were  to  dismiss 
our  conveyance ;  and  right  glad  we  were  to  get  rid 
of  it,  for  we  were  bumped  to  death  by  its  dreadful 
oscillations. 

At  this   station   our   pilot  was  waiting   for  us. 


THE  LAND  BLOCKADE  179 

There  were  also  bivouacking  here  a  picket  of  cavalry, 
who  told  us  they  had  seen  some  of  the  enemy's 
patrols  that  morning,  scouring  about  on  the  opposite 
bank  of  the  river  just  where  we  proposed  to  land. 
Somehow  or  other,  people  always  seem  to  take  a 
pleasure  in  telling  you  disagreeable  things  at  a  time 
when  you  rather  want  encouragement  than  fear  in- 
stilled into  you.  We  had  some  supper,  consisting  of 
eggs  and  bacon ;  and  at  nine  o'clock,  it  being  then 
pitch  dark,  the  pilot  informed  us  it  was  time  to  start. 
I  must  say  I  should  have  been  more  comfortable  if  I 
had  been  on  the  bridge  of  my  little  craft,  just  starting 
over  the  bar  at  Wilmington,  with  the  probability  of 
a  broadside  from  a  gun-boat  saluting  us  in  a  very 
short  time,  than  where  I  was.  But  it  would  never 
do  to  think  of  going  back,  so  we  crawled  into  the 
wood. 

Our  land  pilot  informed  us  that  the  bank  of  the 
river,  from  whence  we  should  find  a  clear  passage 
across,  was  about  two  miles  distant.  I  never  re- 
member seeing  or  feeling  anything  to  be  compared 
with  the  darkness  of  that  pine  wood,  but  our  guide 
seemed  to  have  the  eyes  of  a  basilisk.  We  formed 
Indian  file,  our  guide  leading,  and  crept  along  as  best 
we  could.  At  last,  after  stealthily  progressing  for 
half  an  hour,  a  glimmer  of  starlight  through  the  trees 


i8o  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

showed  us  that  we  were  getting  to  the  borders  of  the 
wood. 

A  few  minutes  afterwards  we  were  desired  to  lie 
down.  Feeling  helpless  as  babes,  we  passively  obeyed, 
and  watched  our  guide  as  he  moved  about  like  a 
spectre  in  the  long  grass  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac, 
looking  for  his  canoe.  At  last  be  returned  and  whis- 
pered that  the  boat  was  all  right,  and  we  all  crept 
like  serpents  to  where  it  was  concealed.  Nothing 
could  be  heard  but  the  wind  blowing  through  the 
trees,  and  the  discordant  noises  of  frogs  and  other 
denizens  of  the  swamp.  So  dark  was  the  night  that 
we  could  hardly  see  fifty  yards  across  the  river.  I 
suppose  this  was  all  in  our  favour  ;  but  how  our  guide 
knew  the  marks  by  which  to  steer  was  a  puzzle  to 
me,  and  as  I  never  meant  to  profit  by  this  experience 
I  asked  no  questions. 

Not  a  word  was  spoken  as  we  (myself  and  my 
friend)  launched  the  canoe  silently  into  the  water 
and  seated  ourselves,  or  rather  obeyed  orders  and 
lay  down,  the  pilot  sitting  in  the  stern,  with  his  face 
towards  the  bows  of  the  boat,  having  a  light  paddle 
in  his  hand,  which  he  worked  wonderfully  well  and 
silently.  The  distance  across  the  river  was  about 
three  miles. 

We  shot  ahead  at  a  rapid  pace  for  about  five 


THE  LAND  BLOCKADE  i8i 

minutes,  when  suddenly,  bump  went  the  canoe 
against  something.  To  lie  flat  down  was  to  our 
guide  the  work  of  a  second,  and  the  canoe  was  at 
once  transformed  into  a  floating  log. 

Well  it  was  so,  for  it  seems  we  had  struck  a 
small  boat  that  was  fastened  astern  of  the  gun-boat 
guarding  the  river.  That  the  noise  of  the  collision 
had  been  heard  on  board  was  evident,  for  a  sentry- 
hailed,  *  Boat  ahoy ! '  and  fired  his  musket,  and  one  of 
those  detestable  bright  lights  which  the  American 
men-of-war  have  a  nasty  habit  of  showing  flashed 
over  the  water,  making  everything  visible  for  a 
hundred  yards  round.  The  current  of  the  river, 
however,  was  very  strong,  and  I  fancy  we  had  drifted 
out  of  the  radius  covered  by  the  light,  as  we  were 
fortunately  not  discovered ;  or  perhaps  the  diligent 
watchman  on  board  the  man-of-war  thought  some 
huge  crocodile  or  other  monster  had  come  in  contact 
with  their  boat.  Be  that  as  it  may,  we  were  safe, 
and  twenty  minutes  more  paddling  brought  us  to 
land  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river ;  but  unfortu- 
nately our  little  adventure  had  thrown  us  out  of 
our  line,  or  as  we  sailors  should  have  called  it,  out 
of  our  course.  We  hauled  the  canoe  out  of  the 
water,  and  hid  her  in  the  long  grass.  All  we  could 
see  around  us  was  a  dismal  swamp,  with  the  dark 


i82  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

wood  in  tlie  background.  Our  guide  honestly  told 
us  that  having  been  thrown  out  of  his  '  reckoning  * 
in  regard  to  our  position,  to  move  from  where  we 
were  before  daybreak  would  be  madness,  so  we  took 
a  pull  at  the  brandy  bottle,  lighted  our  pipes  and 
waited  patiently,  having  moved  well  in  under  cover 
of  the  long  grass,  so  as  to  be  out  of  sight  of  any 
vessel  lying  in  the  river  near  to  us. 

When  the  day  dawned,  our  pilot  after  having 
reconnoitred  told  us  that  we  were  very  well  placed  for 
starting  for  Washington ;  but  that  it  would  be  impos- 
sible, on  account  of  the  patrols  that  were  constantly 
watching  the  river's  banks,  for  us  to  move  during 
the  daytime,  so  we  were  doomed  to  remain  all  day  in 
the  damp  grass.  Luckily  we  had  put  in  our  pockets 
at  last  night's  supper  some  black  bread  and  an  onion 
or  two ;  so  we  made  the  best  of  things,  and  so  did 
the  sandflies.  How  they  did  pitch  into  us,  especially 
into  me !  I  suppose  the  good  living  I  had  been 
accustomed  to  on  board  the  blockade-runner,  or  my 
natural  disposition  to  good  condition,  made  me  taste 
sweet.  Several  times  during  that  fearful  day  I  was 
tempted  to  rush  out  from  my  hiding-place,  and 
defying  patrols,  gun-boat's  crew,  and  all  authorities, 
make  my  escape  from  that  place  of  torture. 

Anyone  who  has  experienced   the   necessity  of 


THE  LAND  BLOCKADE  183 

remaining  quiet  under  sucli  an  infliction  as  an  attack 
of  millions  of  sandflies  on  a  hot  sunny  day  Avill 
appreciate  my  feelings.  About  one  o'clock  we  got 
as  a  diversion  from  our  tormentors  a  great  fright. 
A  boat's  crew  of  a  gun-boat  lying  about  a  mile 
distant  from  our  retreat  landed,  and  out  of  sheer 
idleness  set  fire  to  the  grass  about  a  hundred  yards 
from  where  we  were  lying  concealed. 

We  heard  the  crackling  of  the  grass  and  thought 
of  leaving  our  concealment  at  the  risk  of  discovery ; 
but  our  guide  wisely  remarked  that  the  wind  was 
the  wrong  way  to  bring  the  fire  towards  our  hiding 
place,  so  we  felt  safe.  The  feeling  of  security  was 
more  pleasant,  because  we  distinctly  heard  the  men 
belonging  to  the  gun-boat  conversing  with  others, 
who  clearly  were  patrols  on  the  river's  bank. 

The  evening  at  last  closed  in,  and  as  soon  as  it 
was  quite  dark  we  moved  on,  and  after  struggling 
through  a  thick  wood  for  half  an  hour,  got  on  the 
high  road  to  Washington.  We  travelled  by  night, 
meeting  occasional  patrols,  whom  we  dodged  by  either 
lying  down  or  getting  behind  trees  till  they  had 
passed. 

We  concealed  ourselves  carefully  during  the  day, 
and  on  the  third  morning  before  daylight  we  were 
within  half  a  mile  of  the  city.     As  we  got  near  the 


i84  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

bridge  close  outside  Washington,  we  tried  our  best 
to  look  like  the  rest  of  the  people  who  were  going 
on  their  ordinary  business ;  and  though  somewhat 
severely  scrutinised  by  the  guard  we  managed  to 
pass  muster,  and  got  safely  into  Washington,  foot- 
sore, hungry,  and  regularly  done  up. 

We  went  to  a  small  inn  that  had  been  recom- 
mended to  us  when  we  were  in  Richmond,  where 
probably  they  had  some  Southern  proclivities.  No 
questions  were  asked  as  to  where  we  came  from, 
though,  I  take  it,  the  people  of  the  house  had  a  shrewd 
guess.  We  found  ourselves  among  friends  and  per- 
fectly safe  from  meddling  inquiries. 

Thus  the  land  blockade  was  run.  I  do  not  think 
much  experience  was  gained  by  this  particularly 
unpleasant  exploit,  which  after  all  there  was  no  very 
great  difficulty  in  performing,  and  I  certainly  prefer 
my  own  element. 

After  a  short  stay  we  made  our  way  easily  to 
New  York,  not  feeling  any  anxiety  from  the  fact  of 
our  being  staunch  Southerners  in  our  opinions,  inas- 
much as  there  were  numbers  of  sympathising  friends 
wherever  we  went,  more  perhaps  than  the  authorities 
were  aware  of.  I  stayed  a  few  days  in  New  York  to 
recruit  my  strength  after  the  fatigue  of  the  journey, 
and  saw  all  the  sights  and  enjoyed  all  the  pleasures 


THE  LAND  BLOCKADE  185 

of  the  most  delightful  city  in  the  world,  except  per- 
haps Paris  and  London.  I  shall  not  attempt  to  give 
my  readers  any  description  of  New  York.  This  has 
already  been  done  by  abler  pens  than  mine. 

While  in  New  York  I  was  greatly  struck  with 
the  calm  confidence  of  the  bulk  of  the  Northerners 
in  the  ultimate  success  of  their  arms  against  the 
South.  If  I  gained  nothing  else  by  running  the 
land  blockade,  I  at  least  got  an  insight  into  the 
enormous  resources  possessed  by  the  North,  and  a 
knowledge  of  the  unflinching  determination  with 
which  the  Federals  were  prepared  to  carry  on  the 
struggle  to  the  end.  I  must  confess  that  I  left  New 
York  with  my  confidence  that  the  Confederates  would 
achieve  their  independence  very  much  shaken. 

Not  being  desirous  of  going  through  the  risk  and 
inconvenience  of  running  the  land  blockade  again, 
I  returned  to  Nassau  by  steamer  from  New  York. 


i86  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 


CHAPTER  XVn. 

I  ENTER  THE  TURKISH  NAVY. 

After  superintending,  as  it  were,  the  adventures  just 
detailed,  I  found  that  there  was  still  a  year  to  pass 
before  my  time  for  service  as  a  post-captain  came 
on ;  80  I  determined  on  making  a  Continental  tour  to 
fill  up  the  space.  After  wandering  about  in  different 
countries,  I  more  by  accident  than  design  visited 
Constantinople . 

While  there,  I  called  upon  that  great  statesman 
Fuad  Pasha,  the  Grand  Vizier  of  the  Ottoman  Empire, 
to  whom  I  presented  my  letters  of  introduction.  He 
received  me  most  cordially,  and,  during  our  conversa- 
tion, mentioned  that  for  some  years  Turkey  had  had 
to  deal  with  a  serious  insurrection  in  the  island  of 
Crete,  which  it  was  found  difficult  to  suppress,  owing 
to  the  assistance  from  without  which  the  revolutionary 
party  received  from  Greece ;  also  on  account  of  the 
somewhat  doubtful   laws   existing   as   to   blockade- 


/  ENTER   THE   TURKISH  NAVY  187 

running.  For,  although  Turkish  men-of-war  were 
continually  on  the  look-out,  vessels  mostly  under  the 
Greek  flag,  carrying  warlike  stores,  provisions,  &c., 
evaded  the  watch  of  the  cruisers  on  one  pretext  or 
another,  and  so  managed  to  keep  a  lively  communica- 
tion with  the  insurrectionary  subjects  of  the  Sultan 
in  Crete.  Only  one  vessel  had  been  captured  in 
flagrante  delicto  after  a  sharp  fight,  and  had  been 
condemned  as  a  lawful  prize. 

The  Turkish  authorities  were  told  that,  according 
to  international  law,  a  blockade-running  vessel  could 
not  be  followed  more  than  ten  miles  from  the  coast, 
though  having  been  seen  breaking  the  blockade,  and 
that  as  soon  as  a  blockade-runner  was  within  four 
miles  of  any  island  not  belonging  to  Turkey,  she 
could  not  be  touched,  &c.  &c. ;  in  fact,  laws  were 
fabricated  to  defend  the  blockade-running,  which  fed 
the  revolution  to  such  an  extent  that,  while  it  con- 
tinued, it  was  hopeless  to  attempt  to  put  down  the 
revolt. 

I  accidentally  hinted  to  His  Highness,  Fuad 
Pasha,  that  I  thought  the  blockade-running  could 
be  put  a  stop  to  without  infringing  any  law,  espe- 
cially where  laws  were  so  elastic.  He  seemed 
much  struck  with  my  remark,  and  asked  me  to  call 
on  him  again   in  a  few  days.     Now  I  had  merely 


1 88  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

mentioned  casually  wliat  I  thought.  I  had  no  idea 
of  anything  serious  resulting  from  our  interview.  I 
was  indeed  surpi'ised  on  my  return  to  His  Highness 
by  his  saying :  '  I  have  consulted  His  Majesty  the 
Sultan,  who  desires  me  to  tell  you  that  if  you  would 
wish  to  take  ser^dce  with  the  Ottoman  Government, 
arrangements  can  be  made  whereby  you  can  do  so, 
only  you  must  take  the  risk  and  responsibility  of 
offending  your  own  people.* 

I  had  to  consider  a  little  before  replying.  I  bore 
in  mind  that  there  were  some  two  hundred  and  fifty 
post-captains  in  the  English  navy  clamouring  for  em- 
ployment, and  that  there  were  at  the  moment  I  speak 
of  only  about  forty  employed.  I  remembered  that 
for  twenty-four  years  an  English  officer  of  the  same 
rank  as  myself  had  held  the  post  now  offered  to  me, 
namely,  that  of  Naval  Adviser  to  the  Turkish  Govern- 
ment, that  the  post  was  just  vacant  through  the 
retirement  of  Sir  Adolphus  Slade  (who  had  served 
honourably  for  twenty  years,  and  had  retired  from 
old  age).  I  calculated  in  those  days  of  profound 
peace  there  was  more  probability  of  active  service  in 
the  Eastern  world  than  elsewhere.  So  I  answered : 
*  Well,  your  Highness,  I  am  ready  if  the  terms 
offered  me  are  satisfactory.' 

I  may  say  they  proved  most  satisfactory ;  so,  to 


/  ENTER   THE  TURKISH  NAVY         189 

make  a  long  story  short,  I  accepted  and  was  booked 
as  a  Turkish  employ^  for  five  years,  always  retaining 
my  rank  and  position  as  an  English  naval  officer,  and 
my  nationality  as  a  British  subject. 

I  found  afterwards,  as  regards  my  position  as  an 
English  naval  officer,  I  had  somewhat  reckoned  with- 
out my  host.  It  seems  that  this  post  was  considered 
by  the  English  Admiralty  as  one  of  their  choice  gifts, 
and  many  were  the  applicants  for  it  on  Sir  A.  Slade's 
retirement,  so  much  so  that  their  lordships  made 
great  capital  of  this  appointment,  and  were  furious  at 
my  action  in  the  matter.  They  said  I  had  *  cut  out ' 
a  good  old  servant  to  whom  they  had  intended  to  give 
it.  They  suggested  my  coming  home  at  once,  &c. 
&c.  I  didn't  see  it  in  the  same  light  as  their  lord- 
ships, and  I  signified  my  determination  to  remain 
where  I  was ;  for  which,  as  will  be  seen,  they  paid 
me  off  in  course  of  time.  Luckily,  I  could  afford  by 
the  arrangement  I  had  made  with  the  Turkish 
Government  to  be  in  the  Admiralty's  bad  books,  and 
even  the  frowns  of  the  English  Ambassador  did  not 
affect  me  a  bit.  I  believe  they  called  me  '  adven- 
turer,' *  artful  dodger,'  &c.,  but  it  must  be  remembered 
that  I  was  in  every  way  as  much  entitled  to  this 
position  as  the  Admiralty  *  pet,'  whoever  he  may  have 
been. 


I90  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

From  tlie  day  of  signing  my  contract  (wMch  has 
been  constantly  renewed)  to  the  time  I  write,  some 
sixteen  years,  I  never  have  had  cause  to  regret  the 
step  I  took. 

Shortly  after  my  installation  as  vice-admiral  in 
the  Turkish  navy,  it  was  decided  that  I  should  be  sent 
to  Crete  to  put  a  stop  to  the  blockade-running.  *  Set 
a  thief  to  catch  a  thief,'  as  one  of  my,  what  may 
be  called,  unfi'iendly  critics  has  written  about  me, 
and  the  remark  was  hen  trovato  at  all  events,  for 
I  certainly  did  know  something  about  blockade- 
running. 

I  accordingly  hoisted  my  flag  in  a  fine  fifty-gun 
wooden  frigate,  and  arrived  at  Suda  Bay,  the  principal 
port  of  Crete,  where  six  or  seven  Turkish  men-of-war 
were  stationed,  of  which  I  took  command.  Here  I 
heard  all  the  naval  officers  had  to  say  about  the  blockade, 
the  impunity  with  which  it  was  carried  on,  &c.  I 
found,  as  I  before  mentioned,  that  the  Turkish  naval 
officers'  hands  were  tied  by  all  sorts  of  imaginary 
difficulties.  They  had  most  zealously  done  their 
duty  while  trying  to  stop  the  blockade-running. 
They  had  shown  great  pluck  and  endurance,  but  they 
always  feared  to  break  the  law  and  so  get  the  ever- 
bullied  Turkish  Government  into  trouble.  Here  I 
also  heard  of  the  triumphant  manner  in  which  the 


THE  CRETAN  INSURRECTION  191 

blockade-runners  left  the  ports  of  Greece.  How  the 
Mayors  of  Syra,  Poros,  and  other  Greek  towns,  con- 
ducted, with  flags  flying,  bands  playing,  and  the 
hurrahs  of  the  entire  population,  the  hitherto  trium- 
phant blockade-running  captains  and  crews  to  their 
ships,  on  the  way  to  feed  the  flame  of  revolt  against 
a  nation  with  whom  the  Greeks  professed  to  be  on 
most  friendly  terms. 

I  heard  all  this,  and  was  moreover  told  that  if 
the  blockade-running  was  stopped,  the  insurgents  in 
Crete  would  at  once  lay  down  their  arms  for  want  of 
food  and  warlike  stores. 

I  determined  to  stop  it  at  all  risks. 

Picking  out  of  my  squadron  a  couple  of  fast 
despatch  boats  and  a  quick  steaming  corvette  to 
accompany  my  flag-ship,  I  started  on  a  cruise,  and 
once  out  of  sight  of  the  harbour  of  Suda,  steamed 
straight  for  Syra.  Now  this  port  had  been  the  prin- 
cipal delinquent  in  fitting  out  and  sending  blockade- 
runners  to  Crete ;  so  I  thought  that  by  going  as  it 
were  to  the  starting-point,  I  should  be  somewhat 
nearer  to  my  quarry  than  by  waiting  for  them  in 
Crete.  Circumstances  favoured  me  in  the  most  mar- 
vellous manner.  As  morning  broke  the  day  after 
I  left  Suda,  I  was  about  eight  miles  from  Syra 
harbour  steaming  slowly,  when  I  saw  what  made  my 


192  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

heart  leap  into  my  mouth,  viz.,  a  regular  blockade- 
runner  exactly  of  the  type  used  in  the  American  war, 
going  at  full  speed  for  Syra  harbour. 

He  was  outside  my  little  squadron,  and  must  pass 
within  a  mile  or  so  ahead  to  get  to  his  port. 

A  somewhat  similar  position  I  have  so  often  seen, 
in  fact,  taken  part  in,  of  a  craft  running  for  dear  life 
into  Charleston  or  Wilmington,  across  the  bows  of 
blockading  ships  just  at  daylight.  I  saw  that  he 
was  firing  up  all  he  knew,  and  was  going  at  a 
tremendous  speed.  I  signalled  to  my  despatch  boats 
to  chase,  and  when  my  flag-ship  was  within  about  a 
mile  and  a  half  I  fired  a  blank  gun  to  make  him 
show  his  colours.  To  this  he  replied  by  firing  his 
long  Armstrong  gun  with  such  effect  that  the  shot 
cut  away  the  stanchion  of  the  bridge  on  which  I  was 
standing.  Now,  gallant  fellow  as  he  was,  in  doing 
this  he  was  wrong ;  he  should  have  shown  his  colours 
and  run  (if  he  knew  he  wasn't  honest)  for  the  shelter 
of  a  neutral  flag,  but  not  fired  at  a  man-of-war,  who 
in  her  duty  as  forming  part  of  the  police  of  the  seas 
fires  a  blank  gun  asking  for  colours  from  a  suspicious 
vessel.  He  undoubtedly  committed  an  act  of  piracy 
and  gave  me  a  splendid  hold  on  him. 

My  despatch  boats  chased  the  blockade-runners 
close  to  Syra  harbour,  both  parties  keeping  a  warm 


THE  CRETAN  INSURRECTION  193 

running  fight.  Wlien  I  recalled  them,  I  found  that 
thia  vessel  was  named  the '  Enossis.'  Her  captain  was 
a  most  courageous  Greek,  who  thought  of  nothing  but 
carrying  his  cargo  and  fighting  to  the  last  for  his 
ship,  evidently  ignoring  all  laws,  nor  did  he  even  think 
that  on  this  occasion  someone  was  acting  against  him 
who  knew  something  of  the  rules  of  blockade,  and 
who  could  have  told  him  that  an  armed  blockade- 
runner  is  a  pirate,  that  is  to  say,  if  she  uses  her  arms 
against  a  man-of-war. 

I  was  so  satisfied  with  what  had  occurred  that  I 
sent  ofi"  one  of  my  despatch  boats  to  the  Governor  of 
Crete,  telling  him  that  he  need  not  fear  the  blockade- 
runners  any  more,  as  they  (the  two  others  were  lying 
in  Syra  harbour)  had  put  themselves  in  so  false  a 
position  that  at  all  events  for  several  weeks  I  could 
detain  them  at  Syra.  I  knew  that  one  week  would 
suffice  to  stop  the  revolt  in  Crete,  as  without  the 
blockade-runners  the  insurrectionists  had  positively 
nothing  to  eat. 

(I  may  as  well  at  once  observe  that  I  was  perfectly 
justified  in  saying  this,  for  within  three  days,  no 
blockade-runner  arriving  at  the  island,  the  insurgents 
laid  down  their  arms  and  begged  for  bread.  And  so 
ended  the  Cretan  revolt.) 

Having  recalled  the  vessels  I  had  sent  to  chase 


194  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

the  *  Enossis '  into  Syra  harbour,  I  steamed  in  the 
roads  off  that  port,  and  anchored  with  three  vessels. 

I  then  sent  to  the  authorities  on  shore  at  Syra, 
and  demanded  their  assistance  in  arresting  a  vessel 
that  had  taken  shelter  in  their  port,  which,  as  I  stated 
in  my  despatch,  had  committed  an  act  of  piracy  on  the 
high  seas,  by  firing  at  my  flagship  when  the  latter 
called  upon  her  to  show  her  colours  by  firing  a  blank 
gun.  At  the  same  time  I  informed  the  authorities  of 
Syra  that,  as  the  companions  of  the  'Enossis'  were  in 
the  harbour,  I  should  allow  none  of  them  to  go  to  sea 
until  the  question  of  that  vessel's  illegal  action  was 
cleared  up.  By  doing  this  I  took  the  wind  out  of 
the  sails  of  the  authorities  of  Syra.  They  of  course 
were  furious,  and  at  once  despatched  a  vessel  to 
Athens  for  orders.  At  the  same  time  they  made  a 
semblance  of  meeting  my  demand  by  stating  that  the 
'  Enossis '  should  be  tried  by  international  law.  They 
also  requested  me  to  make  my  protest  and  to  leave 
Syra,  as  the  populace  were  in  a  state  of  excitement 
beyond  their  power  of  control.  In  this  request  all 
the  Foreign  Consuls  joined. 

I  positively  declined  to  leave  ;  had  I  consented  I 
am  convinced  the  '  Enossis '  and  her  companions  would 
have  left  for  Crete  as  soon  as  I  was  out  of  sight.  In 
the  meantime  I  sent  a  despatch  boat  to  Smyrna  with 


THE  CRETAN  INSURRECTION  195 

telegrams  for  Constantinople  asking  for  assistance, 
stating  ray  position.  I  remained  off  Syra  with  two 
ships,  one  being  a  despatch  boat,  watching  the  move- 
ments of  the  three  blockade-runners,  to  whom  I 
notified  that  I  would  sink  them  if  they  attempted  to 
leave  the  port. 

I  often  wonder  they  didn't  make  a  rush  for  it  on 
the  first  night  of  my  arrival,  when  I  was  almost  alone. 
The  Greeks  never  want  pluck.  If  they  had  done  so, 
one  vessel  out  of  the  three  would  certainly  have 
escaped,  taken  food  to  the  insurgents,  and  capsized 
all  my  calculations. 

It  merely  corroborated  my  view  of  blockade- 
running  peoples,  namely,  that  they  go  for  gain  (some 
perhaps  for  love  of  enterprise)  ;  don't  fight  unless 
very  hard  pressed,  and  not  always  then  if  they  are 
wise;  that  is  what  it  should  be.  It  is  outrageous 
that  adventurous  persons  not  engaged  in  war  should 
become  belligerents,  as  well  as  carriers  of  arms  and 
provisions  to  an  enemy. 

The  first  night  I  passed  off  Syra  was  one  of  great 
anxiety,  as  I  had  promised  the  Governor  of  Crete  that 
no  blockade-runner  should  go  to  the  island. 

In  the  morning  a  small  steamer  arrived  from 
Athens  with  a  Turkish  ofiicial  on  board.  He  came 
to  me  pale  as  a  sheet,  and  told  me  that  as  he  left  the 


196  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

Piraeus  a  Greek  frigate  was  on  the  point  of  leaving 
for  Syra,  whose  captain,  officers,  and  crew  liad  sworn 
to  bring  back  Hobart  Pasta  dead  or  alive.  Half  an 
hour  afterwards  I  got  under  weigh,  and  as  I  steamed 
about  in  the  offing  I  saw  the  Greek  frigate  coming 
round  the  point. 

It  was  a  moment  of  intense  excitement.  The 
tops  of  the  houses  at  Syra  were  covered  with  people. 
It  looked  like  the  old  story  of  the  '  Chesapeake '  and 
'  Shannon,'  where  the  people  turned  out  to  see  the  fine 
sport,  and  the  band  played, '  Yankee  doodle  dandy, 
oh!' 

However,  I  steamed  towards  my  supposed  enemy, 
went  almost  alongside  of  him,  expecting  momentarily 
to  receive  his  broadside,  when  to  my  astonishment  and 
I  must  say  satisfaction  he  steamed  into  the  anchorage, 
and  let  go  three  anchors.  This  didn't  look  like  fight- 
ing. I  found  afterwards  that  the  Greek  frigate  had 
no  pcnvder  on  board.  It  was  a  shame  to  put  her 
captain  in  so  false  a  position,  as  everyone  knows 
what  gallant  stuff  the  Greeks  are  made  of,  and 
swagger  is  a  mistake  where  real  pluck  exists. 

I  felt  for  him  very  much,  as  he  seemed  so  sorry 
for  himself. 

A  few  days  after  this  I  was  reinforced  by  six  or 
seven  Turkish  ironclads,  and  in  fact  commanded  the 


THE  CRETAN  INSURRECTION  197 

position  in  spite  of  all  remonstrances  on  tlie  part  of 
foreigners  and  other  declared  enemies  of  Turkish 
rule. 

We  went  through  the  laughable  farce  of  a  trial  of 
the  '  Enossis '  on  board  a  vessel  lying  in  port  (I  dare 
not  land),  which  of  course  ended  in  nothing. 

The  Governor-General  of  Crete  sent  all  the  insur- 
gents in  Turkish  ships  to  me  to  deal  with,  and  this 
was  the  most  difficult  thing  I  had  to  do.  Poor 
beggars,  they  were  fine  though  misguided  men. 
After  giving  them  a  good  feed,  for  they  were  terribly 
hungry,  I  distributed  them  among  the  neighbouring 
Greek  islands,  and  so  finished  the  afiair. 

There  are  those  who  say  that  my  acts  off  Syra 
were  illegal,  especially  as  to  stopping  the  '  Enossis's ' 
companions  from  leaving  the  port.  All  I  can  say  is, 
the  Greeks  &a  masse^  from  the  Government  downwards, 
had  paid  so  little  regard  to  international  law  during 
three  years,  as  regards  their  action  in  encouraging 
revolution  in  the  territory  of  a  friendly  country,  that 
a  little  stretch  of  the  law  on  my  part  was  quite 
justifiable. 

While  on  the  subject  of  Crete,  which  is  always 
supposed  to  be  in  a  chronic  state  of  revolt,  I  would 
say  a  few  words. 

I  maintain  that  the  Cretan  people,  of  whom  I 


198  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

know  a  good  deal,  do  not  want  an  alliance  with 
Greece,  and  if  the  always  over-excited  ambitious 
Greek  committees  would  only  keep  quiet  and  give 
up  agitation,  the  Cretans  would  be  the  happiest 
community  in  the  Mediterranean. 

While  I  commanded  for  more  than  a  year  a  large 
squadron  of  Turkish  ironclads  stationed  in  Crete,  I 
had  many  opportunities  of  judging  as  to  the  senti- 
ments of  the  Cretans. 

I  never  saw  a  more  orderly,  well-disposed  people 
if  let  alone  by  agitators. 

On  my  return  to  Constantinople  the  reception  I 
received  from  several  of  the  European  Powers  was 
most  gratifying. 

I  received  high  honours  in  the  shape  of  decora- 
tions, for  having  as  they  said  by  my  conduct  pre- 
vented a  European  war.  My  own  country  alone 
stood  aloof  from  me.  The  Admiralty  went  so  far  as 
to  tell  me  that  if  I  did  not  immediately  return  to 
England,  my  name  would  be  erased  from  the  list  of 
naval  officers.  An  officer  of  high  rank,  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Admiralty,  wrote  to  me  a  semi-official 
letter,  in  which  he  said, '  Unless  you  leave  the  Turkish 
service,  you  will  be  scratched  off  the  list.'  Feeling 
exceedingly  hurt  at  such  treatment,  at  a  moment 
when  I  expected  encouragement  for  having  main- 


THE  CRETAN  INSURRECTION  199 

tained  the  honour  of  my  country  while  acting  as  a 
naval  oflficer  should  have  done,  I  wrote  to  him,  '  You 
may  scratch  and  be  d — d,'  This  letter  was,  I  think, 
very  unfairly  quoted  against  me  some  time  afterwards 
in  the  House  of  Commons.  However,  my  name  was 
erased  from  the  list  of  naval  oflScers,  and  was  not 
replaced  there  for  several  years.  I  was  well  and 
kindly  received  by  His  Majesty  the  Sultan,  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  full  admiral,  and  settled  down  to  my 
work  as  a  Turkish  naval  officer,  head  of  the  staff  of 
the  Imperial  Navy. 

It  becomes  a  most  delicate  task  to  continue 
sketches  of  my  life  during  the  latter  time  that  I 
have  been  in  Turkey,  because  such  anecdotes  strike 
nearer  home,  that  is  to  say,  become  more  what  may 
be  called  personal  as  regards  my  public  and  private 
doings.  However,  I  will  endeavour,  somewhat  briefly 
perhaps,  to  do  so  in  a  way  that  may  be  interesting  to 
my  readers,  and  offensive  to  no  one. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  serve  such  masters  as  the 
Turks ;  they  are  always  kind  and  considerate  to 
strangers  in  their  service,  and  if  one  avoids  offending 
them  in  certain  matters  on  which  they  are  supposed 
to  have  prejudices,  and  if  one  while  giving  advice 
avoids  offensive  censure,  it  is  easy  to  get  on.  While 
serving  in  Turkey  my  principal  business  has  been 


200  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

relating  to  naval  matters,  regarding  wliicli  I  have 
had  to  propose  certain  progressive  changes  such  as 
are  being  constantly  introduced  into  foreign  navies, 
more  especially  the  English.  These  changes  proposed 
by  me  have  generally  been  accepted,  and  I  can  but 
think  that  many  beneficial  alterations  have  been 
introduced  into  the  Turkish  Navy  tending  to  improve 
that  service. 

His  Majesty  the  Sultan  has  named  me  one  of  his 
special  A.D.C.'s,  and  in  that  capacity  I  have  had 
at  times  and  still  have  important  duties. 

His  Majesty  always  treats  me  with  the  greatest 
kindness  and  consideration,  and  I  have  a  sincere 
respect  and  affection  for  him,  both  as  a  sovereign, 
and,  if  I  may  presume  to  say  so,  as  a  friend. 


CHAPTER  XVin. 

THE     WAR     WITH     RUSSIA, 

In  1877  the  war  with  Russia  broke  out,  and 
through  the  absence  of  any  powerful  naval  enemy, 
little  in  the  way  of  hard  fighting  was  done ;  still 
some  very  important  service  was  performed  by  the 
Turkish  fleet,  much  more  so  than  is  generally 
known. 

In  the  first  place  we  had  to  hold  the  Black  Sea, 
with  its  extensive  sea-board.  We  defended  Sulina 
and  Batoum  against  Russian  attack  by  land,  and 
by  torpedo  on  the  sea.  We  had  to  watch  the  little 
swift  packet  boats  equipped  as  men-of-war,  which 
constantly  made  a  rush  from  Sebastopol  and  Odessa 
(as  they  did,  by  the  way,  in  the  Crimean  War,  when 
twenty  to  thirty  English  and  French  ships  were 
watching  them),  and  when  they  could  get  a  chance 
burnt  some  unfortunate  little  coasting  craft,  sending 
the  crews  of  such  vessels  adrift  in  small  boats  to 


202  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

make  the  best  of  their  way  to  the  nearest  land.  In 
addition  to  the  above-named  services,  the  Turkish 
fleet  was  called  upon  constantly  to  transport  large 
bodies  of  troops  from  port  to  port. 

On  one  memorable  occasion  the  Turkish  men-of- 
war  and  transports  conveyed  the  whole  of  Suleiman 
Pasha's  army,  consisting  of  forty  thousand  men,  from 
the  coast  of  Albania  to  Salonica,  a  distance  of  some 
eight  hundred  miles,  within  the  short  space  of  twelve 
days,  a  feat,  I  venture  to  say,  unheard  of  in  the  naval 
annals  of  this  century.  Sulina  was  held  safely  by 
the  Turkish  fleet  until  the  end  of  the  war. 

Batoum  could  not  have  been  held  by  Dervish 
Pasha  and  his  army  had  not  the  Turkish  fleet  been 
there  to  help  him.  In  short,  that  fleet  kept  the 
command  of  the  Black  Sea  during  the  whole  of  that 
disastrous  war,  cruising  at  times  in  the  most  fearful 
weather  I  have  ever  experienced,  for  twelve  months 
in  a  sea  almost  without  ports  of  refuge  ;  and  it  is  a 
remarkable  fact  that  the  Turks  never  lost  a  ship, 
constantly  attacked  though  they  were,  as  I  shall 
show  hereafter,  by  the  plucky  Russian  torpedo  boats, 
who  frequently  made  rushes  at  them  from  Muscovite 
ports,  and  only  saved  from  destruction  through  the 
precautions  taken  against  these  diabolical  machines, 
which  come  and  go  like  flashes  of  lightning.     It  is 


THE   WAR   WITH  RUSSIA  203 

true  that  in  the  Danube  two  small  Turkish  vessels  of 
war  were  destroyed  by  torpedoes,  but  it  must  be 
borne  in  mind  the  Danube  was  under  military 
law,  and  that  the  look-out  kept  on  board  these 
vessels  was  not  by  any  means  what  it  should  have 
been. 

But  I  must  repeat,  as  so  many  contrary  reports 
have  been  spread,  that  no  Turkish  ironclad  was 
injured  by  torpedoes  in  the  Black  Sea. 

I  will  explain  hereafter  how  many  attacks  were 
made  with  no  result  whatever.  Some  few  days 
before  the  war  broke  out  I  was  sent  to  examine  the 
Danube  from  a  professional  point  of  view,  and  it  was 
soon  made  clear  to  me  that  much  could  be  done,  in 
the  way  of  defending  that  great  estuary,  had  nautical 
experience  and  the  splendid  material  of  which  the 
Turkish  sailor  is  made  of  been  properly  utilised. 
But  alas  !  I  found  that,  contrary  to  the  views  of  His 
Majesty  the  Sultan,  a  line  of  action  was  followed 
showing  that  pig-headed  obstinacy  and  the  grossest 
ignorance  prevailed  in  the  councils  of  those  who  had 
supreme  command  in  that  river.  I  found  that  my 
advice  and  that  of  competent  Turkish  officers,  in 
comparatively  subordinate  positions  like  myself,  was 
entirely  ignored,  and  that  few,  if  any,  proper  steps 
were  taken  to  prevent  the   enemy's  progress  into 


204  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

Roumania,  and  later  on,  to  his  passing  the  Danube 
almost  unopposed. 

On  the  day  that  war  was  declared  I  was  at 
Rustchuk,  the  headquarters  of  the  Turkish  army. 
On  that  occasion  I  made  a  final  effort,  by  making 
propositions  which  events  have  proved  would  have 
arrested  the  advance  of  the  enemy. 

I  was  simply  told  to  mind  my  own  business,  and 
ordered  to  immediately  rejoin  my  ships,  which  were  at 
the  moment  lying  at  the  Sulina  mouth  of  the  Danube. 

It  was  all  very  well  to  tell  me  to  do  this  ;  but  to 
do  so  was  apparently  not  so  easy  of  execution,  for 
the  reason  that  the  Russians  had  no  sooner  declared 
war  than  they  took  possession  of  the  Lower  Danube, 
by  planting  fortifications  on  the  hills  commanding 
the  river  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Galatz  and  Ibraila, 
at  the  same  time  laying  down  torpedoes  across  the 
river  in  great  quantities  (as  regards  the  latter,  it  was 
so  reported,  though  in  my  opinion  it  was  no  easy 
matter  so  quickly  to  place  torpedoes).  I  informed 
the  military  commanders  of  this  ;  their  answer  was, 
*  Go,  and  rejoin  your  ships  vi6,  Varna,  if  you  will  only 
get  out  of  this ;  we  don't  want  your  advice.'  By  this 
time,  however,  my  professional  pride  was  wounded, 
and  I  determined  to  do  something  to  show  my  con- 
tempt for  them  all. 


THE   WAR   WITH  RUSSIA  205 

The  only  thing  left  for  me  to  do  for  the  moment 
was  a  little  blockade-running,  so  I  resolved  to 
bring  my  ship  back  past  the  Russian  barrier  in  the 
Lower  Danube  at  all  risks,  instead  of  tamely  return- 
ing by  land.  So  great  was  the  jealousy  against  me 
that  I  almost  think  the  Turkish  authorities  com- 
manding in  the  Danube  would  have  been  pleased  if 
I  had  failed,  and  so  come  to  grief.  I  had  with  me  a 
very  fast  paddle-steamer  called  the  '  Rethymo  ' ;  her 
captain  and  crew  were  what  the  Turks  always  are — 
brave  as  lions  and  obedient  as  lambs. 

I  took  on  board  a  river  pUot,  whom  I  gave  to 
understand  that  if  he  got  me  on  shore  I  would  blow 
his  brains  out.  Before  starting  I  sent  for  my  officers 
and  crew  and  told  them  of  the  perhaps  unnecessary 
dangers  we  should  run  in  passing  the  Russian  barrier, 
and  gave  to  all  the  option  of  leaving  or  going  on. 
They  decided  to  a  man  to  go  on.  I  arranged  my 
time  so  as  to  pass  Ibraila  and  Galatz  during  the 
night.  We  arrived  to  within  thirty  miles  of  the 
former  place  at  about  five  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
when  I  was  met  by  a  Turkish  official  who  was  leaving 
Ibraila  on  the  war  having  broken  out.  He  was 
fearfully  excited,  and  begged  of  me  on  his  knees  not 
to  go  to  what  he  called  certain  destruction.  He 
told  me  that  he  had  seen  the  Russians  laying  down 


2o6  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

torpedoes  that  same  day,  that  the  batteries  were 
numerous,  and  that  they  were  aware  of  my  coming, 
&c.,  all  of  which  I  took  with  a  considerably  large 
grain  of  salt,  and  left  him  lamenting  my  mad  folly, 
as  he  called  it. 

Now  I  must  be  candid.  I  did  not  feel  the  danger. 
I  calculated  that  to  put  down  torpedoes  in  a  current 
such  as  was  in  the  Danube  would  be  a  matter  of 
time,  and  probably  they  would  not  succeed  after  all. 
I  had  a  plan  in  my  head  for  passing  the  batteries, 
so  as  to  render  them  harmless.  So  in  reality  I  was 
about  to  attempt  no  very  impossible  feat.  Three 
hours  after  dusk  we  sighted  the  lights  of  Ibraila. 
The  current  was  running  quite  five  knots  an  hour  ; 
that,  added  to  our  speed  of  fifteen,  made  us  to  be 
going  over  the  ground  at  about  twenty  knots.  It 
was  pitch  dark,  and  I  think  it  would  have  puzzled 
the  cleverest  gunner  to  have  hit  us,  though  they 
might  have  done  so  by  chance.  I  determined  not  to 
give  them  that  chance,  by  going  so  close  under  the 
bank  that  the  guns  could  hardly  be  sufficiently 
depressed  to  hit  us. 

As  we  approached  the  batteries  to  my  horror  a 
flash  of  red  flame  came  out  of  the  funnel  (that  fatal 
danger  in  blockade-running),  on  which  several  rockets 
were  thrown  up  from  the  shore,  and  a  fire  was  opened 


THE    WAR    WITH  RUSSIA  207 

at  where  the  flame  had  been  seen.  Meanwhile  we 
had  shot  far  away  from  the  place,  and  closed  right 
under  the  batteries.  I  heard  the  people  talking; 
every  now  and  then  they  fired  shot  and  musketry, 
but  I  hardly  heard  the  wliiz  of  the  projectiles.  My 
principal  anxiety  was  that  we  might  get  on  one  of 
the  many  banks  so  common  in  the  Danube,  and  I  had 
perhaps  a  little  fear  of  torpedoes,  especially  when  we 
passed  the  mouths  of  the  little  estuaries  that  run  into 
the  Danube ;  once  we  just  touched  the  ground,  but 
thank  goodness  we  quickly  got  free,  and  though  fired 
at  by  guns  and  rifles,  went  on  unhurt.  It  took  us 
exactly  an  hour  and  forty  minutes  to  pass  dangerous 
waters,  and  the  early  summer  morning  was  breaking 
as  we  cleared  all  danger.  I  could  not  resist  turning 
round  and  firing  a  random  shot  at  the  banks  studded 
with  Russian  tents,  now  that  I  was  able  to  breathe 
freely  again. 

I  must  say  that  my  pilot,  whom  I  at  first  suspected 
of  being  a  traitor  in  Russian  pay,  behaved  splendidly. 

He  told  me  he  had  never  passed  such  a  night  of 
fear  and  anxiety  :  what  with  my  cocked  pistol  at  his 
head  and  the  constant  fear  of  putting  the  vessel  on  a 
bank,  he  certainly  had  had  a  bad  time.  However,  I 
rewarded  him  well.  On  arrival  at  Toultcha,  a  small 
town  near  the  mouth  of  the  Danube,  still  held  by  the 


2o8  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

Turks,  I  found  telegrams  from  headquarters  at 
Rustchuk  (the  place  I  had  left),  inquiring  if  Hobart 
Pasha  had  passed  Ibraila  and  Galatz,  and  ordering 
that  if  he  had  done  so  he  was  immediately  to  leave  the 
Danube. 

I  cannot  express  my  annoyance,  as  even  at  that 
moment  I  could  have  brought  a  couple  of  small  iron- 
clads that  were  lying  at  Sulina  into  the  river  and 
played  '  old  Harry '  with  the  Russian  army,  then 
advancing  into  Roumania,  via  Galatz.  The  bridge 
near  Galatz  could  certainly  have  been  destroyed.  It 
was  hard  on  the  gallant  Turks,  hard  on  the  Sultan 
and  his  government,  and  hard  on  me,  to  see  such 
magnificent  chances  thrown  away.  From  that  moment 
I  trembled  for  the  result  of  the  war.  I  felt  that, 
although  the  Turks  had  a  splendid  army,  and  a  fleet 
even  for  a  first-class  European  Power  to  be  proud 
of,  the  obstinacy  and  stupidity  of  the  commanders 
of  the  Danube  were  sure  to  cause  disaster. 

Unhappily  my  prognostications  came  true.  In 
war  the  first  blow  is  half  the  battle,  and  it  was  sad  to 
see  such  glorious  troops  outmanoeuvred  at  the  very 
outset.  His  Majesty  the  Sultan  in  his  wisdom  has 
justly  punished  by  banishment  and  disgrace  these 
men  who,  instead  of  covering  the  Turkish  nation 
with  glory  through  the  deeds  of  its  army,  were  the 


THE   WAR    WITH  RUSSIA  209 

cause  of  the  defeat  of  the  finest  troops  in  the  world. 
That  the  Russians  might  and  would  have  been  beaten, 
had  the  means  in  the  hands  of  those  commanding  the 
Turkish  army  being  properly  utilised,  is  as  clear  as 
day.  However,  it  is  not  my  business  to  comment  on 
such  matters. 

I  now  return  to  my  own  element,  and  will  en- 
deavour to  describe  some  of  the  occurrences  of  the 
war  in  the  Black  Sea.  The  Russians  had  three 
lines  of  action  in  those  waters.  First,  to  capture 
Sulina,  and  to  destroy  the  squadron  lying  at  anchor 
in  its  roadstead ;  second,  to  capture  Batoum  and  its 
much-envied  harbour ;  third,  the  somewhat  undigni- 
fied action  of  sending  out  fast  vessels,  mostly  mail 
boats,  armed  with  a  couple  of  guns,  their  object  being 
to  destroy  the  Turkish  coasting  trade.  These  vessels 
were  most  difiicult  to  catch,  as  they  always  watched 
their  opportunity  to  slip  out  of  their  strongholds 
when  the  Turkish  ships  were  employed  carrying 
troops,  or  otherwise  engaged.  There  was,  I  venture 
to  think,  some  illegality  in  this  conduct  of  the 
Russian  mail  boats. 

These  vessels  were  not  regular  men-of-war,  and 
they  did  not  take  their  prizes  into  port  for  adju- 
dication, as  is  usual  in  war,  always  burning  what 
they  could  catch  and  capture.  However,  during  war  I 
10 


2IO  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

suppose  all  must  be  considered  as  fair  play.  While 
on  the  subject,  I  will  recount  one  or  two  exploits 
performed  by  these  enterprising  mail  boats.  When 
lying  off  Sulina,  one  of  the  ironclad  corvettes  under 
my  command  arrived  from  Constantinople,  where  her 
captain  reported  having  chased  a  well-known  Russian 
mail  steamer  called  the  '  Vesta  ' ;  that  they  had  ex- 
changed a  few  shots,  that  he  had  not  followed  her 
because  his  deck  was  loaded  with  guns  for  the  Sulina 
batteries.  I  thought  no  more  about  it  till  about  a 
fortnight  afterwards  I  saw  in  the  '  Times '  a  paragraph 
headed,  '  Turkish  ironclad  driven  off  and  nearly 
destroyed  by  the  Russian  mail  boat  cruiser  "  Vesta." ' 
This  paragraph,  which  was  founded  on  the  official  re- 
port of  the  captain  of  the  '  Vesta,'  was  most  sensational. 
It  gave  a  graphic  description  of  how  the  '  Vesta '  had 
engaged  at  close  quarters  a  Turkish  ironclad,  killing 
her  crew ;  how  officers  in  European  uniform  had  been 
seen  directing  the  working  of  the  ironclad's  guns,  &c. ; 
how  her  sides  were  crimson  with  the  torrents  of  blood 
pouring  from  her  decks,  and  how  she  would  have 
been  surely  captured  had  the  '  Vesta  '  been  provided 
with  sufficient  ammunition  to  enable  her  to  continue 
the  bloody  fight.  It  added  that  the  gallant  Russian 
commander  was  received  with  the  greatest  enthu- 
siasm  on  his  arriving  at    Sebastopol,   and  imme- 


THE    WAR    WITH  RUSSIA  21 1 

diately  promoted  to  high  rank  and  covered  with 
decorations. 

I  could  hardly  believe  my  eyes  when  I  read  this 
utter  nonsense.  I  know  the  Russians ;  they  are  brave 
and  loyal  fellows,  and  few  indeed  are  there  among 
them  who  have  done  (to  say  the  least  of  it)  so  foolish 
an  act  as  to  make  so  unfounded  a  report. 

However,  the  commander,  whose  name  I  will  not 
mention,  did  not  long  wear  his  laurels.  I  suppose 
he  trusted  to  the  Turks  saying  nothing  about  it ;  but 
the  truth  was  at  last  made  public.  A  court-martial 
was  assembled  to  try  the  case,  and  I  believe  he  was 
dismissed  from  the  service  and  deprived  of  his 
decorations.  At  all  events  I  know  for  certain  that 
he  was  disgraced  by  his  superiors,  and  held  up  to 
ridicule  by  his  brother  officers.  Serve  him  right! 
Swagger  is  always  an  error,  and  I  don't  think  naval 
officers  are  generally  given  to  it. 

The  next  exploit  of  these  cruisers  I  shall  refer  to 
was  one  that  came  under  my  own  eyes,  and  was 
exceedingly  interesting. 

I  was  anchored  with  my  flag-ship,  a  fine  thirteen 
knot  ironclad,  and  a  couple  of  other  vessels,  at  a  port 
some  few  miles  to  the  north  of  Varna,  taking  in  coals, 
when  the  look-out  man  reported  that  he  saw  on  the 
horizon  a  column  of  smoke.     I  knew  that  this  was 


212  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

not  a  Russian  cruiser,  because  these  vessels  always 
burnt  smokeless  coal.  I  guessed,  however,  what  it 
was,  namely,  that  one  of  the  Russian  cruisers  was 
burning  an  unfortunate  coasting  vessel.  On  looking 
more  closely  from  the  masthead  of  the  flag-ship,  I 
saw  the  masts  and  two  funnels  of  a  steamer  very  near 
to  the  burning  ship.  The  cruiser  was  somewhat  in 
shore  of  the  place  where  I  was  lying.  He  seems  to 
have  made  my  squadron  out  about  the  same  time  I 
had  seen  him,  and  at  once  made  tracks,  as  the 
Americans  say,  to  get  out  to  sea.  In  doing  so  he  had 
to  near  us  considerably,  so  much  so  that  before  steam 
was  ready  in  the  flag-ship  I  could  pretty  well  discern 
what  the  enemy  was.  Some  persons  may  be  surprised 
to  hear  that  the  marauding  vessel  was  no  less  a  craft 
than  the  magnificent  yacht  of  the  Emperor  of  All  the 
Russias,  called  the  '  Livadia,'  which  had  condescended 
to  the  somewhat  undignified  work  of  capturing  small 
Turkish  coasting  craft.  Who  can  fancy  the  '  Victoria 
and  Albert '  being  sent  to  sea,  during  a  war  between 
England  and  France,  to  capture  and  destroy  small 
coasting  craft  on  the  French  shores !  However,  there 
was  the  fact ;  it  was  the  '  Livadia,'  and  no  mistake. 
And  now  commenced  one  of  the  most  interesting 
chases  I  have  ever  seen.  On  our  starting  the  yacht 
was  about  four  miles  ahead  of  us,  steering  a  course 


THE   WAR    WITH  RUSSIA  213 

that  would  take  her  straight  to  Sebastopol.  She  had 
got  through  all  the  necessary  dangerous  manoeuvre  of 
crossing  our  bows,  from  her  having  been  inshore  of 
us,  before  we  moved. 

The  weather  was  lovely,  not  a  ripple  on  the  water, 
dead  calm. 

We  commenced  the  chase  at  4"30  p.m.  Unfor- 
tunately our  decks  were  loaded  with  coal ;  however, 
we  made  a  clean  thirteen  knots.  At  first  it  seemed  as 
if  we  were  coming  up  with  the  chase,  so  much  so 
that  I  felt  inclined  to  fire  the  long  bow  gun  at  her. 
But  I  always  think  and  I  say  from  blockade-running 
experience  that  firing  more  or  less  injures  a  vessel's 
speed  ;  so  I  refrained  from  doing  so.  As  night  closed 
in  a  beautiful  moon  rose  and  made  everything  as 
clear  as  day.  The  equality  of  our  speed  was  most 
remarkable,  insomuch  as  the  distance  between  us  did 
not  vary  a  hundred  yards  in  an  hour.  All  night  we 
were  watching,  measuring  distances  with  nautical 
instruments,  &c.,  hoping  at  moments  that  we  were 
nearer,  despairing  at  others  that  she  was  gaining 
from  us.  We  threw  overboard  fifty  or  sixty  tons  of 
coal,  to  no  avail ;  we  could  not  get  within  shot  of 
the  '  Livadia,'  to  capture  which  I  would  have  given 
all  I  possessed.  As  day  broke  we  saw  the  crew  of 
the   '  Livadia '  busily  employed  throwing  overboard 


214  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

coal  and  water.  Sebastopol  was  in  sight,  and  she 
was  mnning  for  dear  life  to  that  haven  of  safety. 
Lightening  her  had  certainly  a  good  effect,  for  it  was 
sadly  evident  to  me  that  on  doing  so  she  drew  ahead 
a  little,  but  very  little.  Now  I  hoped  she  would 
burst  her  boUer  or  break  down  ever  so  little  ;  but  so 
it  was  not  fated,  and  the  Emperor's  yacht  escaped  by 
the  skin  of  her  teeth  into  Sebastopol,  under  the  protec- 
tion of  batteries  that  opened  a  tremendous  fire  on  my 
ship  on  my  approaching,  forgetful  of  their  existence ; 
I  was  obliged  to  clear  out  of  that  pretty  sharply  or 
we  should  have  been  sunk. 

An  ironclad  corvette  that  accompanied  me,  though 
some  miles  astern  at  the  finish,  ran  so  close  in  that 
she  had  her  rudder  shot  away,  and  we  had  the  un- 
pleasant task  of  towing  her  out  under  a  fire  more 
like  a  hailstorm  of  shot  and  shell  than  anything  I  can 
compare  it  to.  I  am  told  the  '  Livadia '  would  have 
shown  fight.  I  have  no  doubt  she  would  ;  Russians 
always  fight  well :  but  I  think  the  result  would  not 
have  been  doubtful,  and  the  Emperor's  crockery  and 
glass,  to  say  nothing  of  the  magnificent  gettings-up 
in  the  cabins,  would  have  lost  much  of  their  lustre 
during  an  engagement.  So  the  glory  of  taking  the 
Emperor's  yacht  into  the  Bosphorus  was  not  to  be 
mine.     I  cannot  express  my  disappointment  at  losing 


THE   WAR    WITH  RUSSIA  215 

such  a  chance.  The  only  consolation  I  have  is  that 
I  really  believe  the  brave  Russians  would  have  blown 
her  up,  rather  than  allow  such  a  disgrace  to  fall  on 
their  flag. 

Since  the  war  a  Russian  naval  oflicer  told  me 
that  he  had  under  his  command  at  Sebastopol,  on 
the  day  of  my  chasing  the  '  Livadia '  into  that  port, 
seven  torpedo  boats,  with  which  he  volunteered  to 
go  out  and  attack  us.  His  request  was  not  allowed. 
We  discussed  at  some  length  the  probable  result. 
These  are  my  views  and  arguments.  I  said  to  him, 
'  When  I  saw  your  boats  coming  out  I  should  have 
steamed  away.  Now  the  speed  of  my  frigate  is 
thirteen  knots.  You  would  probably  have  had  a 
speed  of  nineteen  to  twenty  at  most.  Thus  your  rate 
of  approaching  me  would  have  been  six  knots,  no 
great  speed  with  which  to  approach  a  vessel  armed 
with  Nordenfelt  guns,  and  six  other  guns  also,  en 
barheitey  firing  grape,  shell,  &c.  I  am  convinced  we 
should  have  destroyed  all  the  torpedo  boats.'  '  Well, 
then,'  said  the  Russian  officer, '  I  should  have  followed 
and  attacked  you  during  the  night.'  '  There  again,'  I 
said,  '  I  think  you  would  have  failed,  because  before 
dark  you  could  not  have  got  near  enough  to  me, 
on  account  of  the  opposition  you  would  have  met 
with  from  my  fire,  to  remark  the  course  I  steered 


2i6  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

after  sunset,  which  course  I  should  have  frequently 
changed  during  the  darkness.  A  ship  cannot  be  seen 
in  the  dark  if  she  shows  no  light  at  more  than  five 
hundred  yards  distance,  and  a  moving  ship  would 
have  been  most  difficult  to  hit ;  besides  which,  if  I 
had  stopped  and  put  do^vn  my  defences,  what  could 
you  have  done?'  This  discussion  ended  in  the 
Russian  officer  admitting  that  he  did  not  think  he 
could  have  done  much. 


CHAPTER  XIX, 

THE   TURKISH   FLEET   DURING  THE   WAR. 

To  return  to  the  doings  of  the  Turkish  fleet  in 
the  Black  Sea  during  the  war,  Sulina  was  a  point 
from  the  beginning  always  aimed  at  by  the  Russians. 
In  fact,  according  to  my  humble  ideas,  Russia  went 
to  war  to  get  possession  of  Bessarabia,  the  key  of  the 
Danube,  and  Batoum,  the  key  to  Asia  Minor,  and  in 
a  great  measure  to  our  Indian  possessions.  I  think 
the  sentimental  story  of  massacres  in  Bulgaria  was 
merely  a  blind  whereby  to  catch  the  sympathetic 
support  of  Europe,  and  more  especially  the  English 
philanthropists.  I  think  this,  because  when  the  most 
awful  cruelties  were  committed  by  the  Bulgarians  on 
the  Turks  after  the  war,  we  heard  no  outcry  about 
massacres.  However,  I  must  not  introduce  politics 
into  Sketches  from  a  sailor's  life;  such  would  be 
out  of  glace.  Constant  attacks  were  made  by  land 
and  by  sea  on  Sulina,  which  was  held  and  defended  by 


2i8  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

Turkish  ships  and  their  crews,  who  manned  the  small 
batteries  they  had  planted  at  the  mouth  of  the  river. 
To  the  Russians,  to  destroy  the  Turkish  squadron  lying 
off  that  port  was  of  great  importance,  as  Sulina  is 
entirely  surrounded  by  water  and  great  impassable 
marshes,  which  extend  far  inland,  through  which 
marshes  the  Danube  runs,  and  thus  can  always  be 
defended  by  ships. 

The  Turkish  squadron  generally  consisted  of  five 
or  six  ironclads,  and  as  the  Russians  had  not  ships 
wherewith  to  attack  these  ironclads,  torpedo  attacks 
(of  which  so  much  was  and  is  expected)  was  their  only 
chance. 

My  idea  of  defending  these  vessels  when  at  anchor 
was  by  a  cordon  of  guard-boats,  with  ropes  made  fast 
between  them,  so  as  to  catch  any  attacking  torpedo 
boat,  either  by  fouling  her  screw  as  she  advanced,  or 
by  stopping  entirely  her  progress.  Moreover,  a 
torpedo  boat  thus  stopped  would,  by  catching  the 
rope,  draw  the  guard-boat  on  either  side  of  her,  or 
right  on  top  of  her.  I  must  admit  that  while 
torpedoes  at  that  time  were  supposed  to  be  in  their 
infancy,  the  defence  prepared  against  their  attack 
was  also  very  much  in  its  infancy,  so  these  prepara- 
tions were  of  the  most  primitive  description. 

The  squadron,  as  I  said,  consisted  of  five  vessels, 


THE  TURKISH  FLEET  DURING  THE  WAR    219 

which  had  been  in  the  habit  of  standing  out  to 
sea  every  night,  to  avoid  torpedo  attacks.  On  the 
occasion  I  am  writing  about,  they  had  returned 
to  the  anchorage  on  account  of  bad  weather.  A 
Russian  steamer  with  five  torpedo  boats  in  tow 
started  (as  we  afterwards  learnt)  from  Odessa  to  hunt 
for  the  Turkish  squadron,  which,  it  was  known  to  them 
through  their  spies,  was  in  the  habit  of  cruising  off 
Serpent's  Island,  about  eight  miles  from  Odessa.  The 
Muscovites  were  unable  to  find  their  enemy,  and  I 
don't  wonder  at  it,  for  they  were  not  in  their  usual 
cruising  ground ;  even  had  they  been  there,  to  find 
them  would  have  been  difficult,  as  the  Turkish  ships 
always  cruised  in  open  order,  burnt  smokeless  coal,  and 
showed  no  lights.  On  being  disappointed  in  finding 
what  she  wanted  at  sea,  the  Russian  vessel  steamed 
towards  the  anchorage  off  Sulina.  As  the  weather 
was  bad,  her  commander  decided  not  to  attack,  and  I 
fancy  had  to  cast  off  his  torpedo  boats. 

One  of  these  boats,  if  not  more  (I  have  never  been 
able  to  ascertain  precisely  what  happened  to  the  five 
torpedo  boats  that  left  Odessa),  made  a  dash  at  the 
Turkish  squadron  ;  the  weather  not  permitting  him 
to  use  his  Whitehead,  he  decided  to  try  what  his 
pole  torpedo  would  do.  As  he  approached  the  head- 
most vessel,  he  found  (as  he  explained  afterwards  to 


220  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

me)  that  something  stopped  his  way,  and  he  saw  at 
the  same  time  several  black  objects  approaching  him. 
Nothing  daunted,  he  struggled  to  get  close  to  the 
bows  of  the  ironclad;  when  he  got  as  near  as  he 
could  manage  he  fired  his  torpedo,  without,  however, 
doing  any  harm  to  his  enemy.  Scarcely  had  he  done 
this  when  he  found  himself  in  the  water  and  his 
boat  gone  from  under  him  :  the  real  facts  being  that 
the  black  objects  he  had  seen  were  the  guard-boats, 
which  were  closing  on  him,  the  ropes  that  connected 
them  together  having  fouled  his  screw,  and  caused 
the  disaster  ;  his  boat  was  capsized  and  went  to  the 
bottom.  Four  or  five  of  her  crew  were  drowned,  as 
he  would  have  been,  had  he  not  been  fished  out  of 
the  water  by  the  Turkish  guard-boats,  and  made 
prisoner. 

The  name  of  this  daring  naval  officer  was  Putskin. 
,His  cool  courage  was  very  amusing.  When  interrogated, 
while  still  in  a  half-drowned  condition,  he  exclaimed 
in  excellent  English,  '  "Why  the  devil  didn't  I  blow 
that  ship  up  ? '  He  was  asked  if  he  had  any  idea 
what  stopped  him,  and  it  was  suggested  to  him  that 
something  must  have  fouled  his  screw.  He  answered, 
*  I  don't  know  what  stopped  me,  but  why  the  devil 
didn't  I  blow  the  ship  up  ?  '  I  told  him  that  I  had  a 
sort  of  notion  he  might  be  hanged  for  using  such  a 


THE  TURKISH  FLEET  DURING  THE  WAR    221 

fearful  weapon.  He  said, '  No  brave  man  would  hang 
me ;  but  why,'  &c. 

He  seemed  to  have  only  one  idea,  and  that  was 
he  was  a  fool  for  having  failed.  He  was  too  good  a 
man  to  let  go,  so  we  kept  him  till  nearly  the  end  of 
the  war. 

Wherever  he  may  be  now  he  is  a  fine  fellow,  whose 
bravery  I  for  one  shan't  forget  in  a  hurry. 

A  short  time  after  the  above-named  occurrence 
the  Russians  attempted  an  attack  upon  Sulina  by 
land  and  water,  with  what  object  I  have  never  been 
able  to  understand  ;  as,  if  they  had  succeeded,  they 
could  not  have  held  it  so  long  as  our  ships  were 
anchored  in  the  offing.  Perhaps  their  intention  was, 
by  driving  us  out  of  the  river,  to  utilise  its  position 
for  torpedo  attacks. 

I  have  explained  that  Sulina  was  surrounded  by 
sea  and  vast  marshes.  Along  the  seashore  there  was 
a  narrow  causeway  of  sand,  on  which  ten  men  could 
march  abreast.  The  only  other  approaches  were  by 
sea  and  by  the  river,  the  latter,  at  about  ten  miles 
distance,  being  in  the  hands  of  the  Russians.  As  a 
defence  we  had  placed  on  the  beach,  at  about  a  gun- 
shot's distance,  several  torpedoes,  buried  in  the  sand, 
and  connected  by  electric  wires  with  the  batteries  of 
Sulina.     A   simultaneous   movement  was   made  by 


222  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

three  or  four  Russian  gun-boats  descending  the  river, 
and  two  regiments  of  troops  accompanied  by  artillery 
were  sent  along  the  causeway.  Suspecting  some- 
thing in  regard  to  torpedoes,  they  drove  before 
them  as  a  sort  of  advance  guard  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty  horses  without  riders,  it  being  the  duty 
of  the  poor  animals  to  take  the  shock  of  the  ex- 
plosion should  torpedoes  be  placed  on  the  beach. 
And  so  they  did,  for,  on  the  horses  passing  the  spot 
where  the  torpedoes  were  placed,  an  explosion  took 
place  through  which  several  horses  were  killed.  The 
rest  turned  right  back,  and  the  causeway  being  very 
narrow,  dashed  amongst  the  advancing  troops,  caus- 
ing the  greatest  confusion,  so  much  so  that  the  whole 
party  had  to  retreat  and  we  saw  them  no  more. 

It  is  true  that  one  of  the  small  ironclads  had 
about  got  the  range  of  the  advancing  enemy  along 
the  sea-beach,  so  making  their  position  rather  pre- 
carious, but  I  believe  that  the  real  cause  of  the  failure 
was  the  action  of  the  horses. 

In  the  meantime,  the  light  draft  Russian  gun- 
boats came  down  the  river,  and  began  to  fire  shell 
and  shot  at  a  long  range  at  the  small  town  and 
fortifications  of  Sulina.  This  was  answered  by  the 
temporary  batteries  alone,  the  ships  being  out  of 
range.    Desultory  fighting  went  on  for  about  twenty- 


THE  TURKISH  FLEET  DURING  THE  WAR    223 

four  hours,  when  the  Russians,  finding  the  hope- 
lessness of  the  enterprise,  especially  now  that  the 
troops  had  retired,  gave  it  up  as  a  bad  job  and 
steamed  up  the  Danube  again.  This  was  the  only- 
serious  attack  made  upon  Sulina,  which  Russia  could 
never  have  taken  and  held  till  she  had  destroyed 
the  Turkish  fleet.  After  this  I  went  to  Batoum, 
which  place  Dervish  Pasha  was  gallantly  holding 
against  Russia.  He  was  sadly  in  want  of  naval  help, 
as  the  Russians  had  advanced  by  the  sea-shore  to 
within  six  miles  of  that  much-coveted  port.  On 
arriving  there  I  took  the  command  of  eight  Turkish 
ships  of  war,  besides  transports  that  were  constantly 
coming  and  going  between  Constantinople  and  Batoum 
with  provisions,  ammunition,  &c.,  for  the  army 
and  navy.  Here,  again,  if  the  Russians  could  have 
disposed  of  the  Turkish  fleet  they  would  have  easily 
taken  Batoum.  By  commanding  the  sea,  even  with  a 
couple  of  vessels,  they  would  have  prevented  sup- 
plies being  sent.  It  must  be  remembered  there  was 
no  way  of  supporting  the  soldiers  and  sailors  except 
by  sea.  My  first  object  was  to  drive  the  Russians, 
by  the  fire  of  the  ships,  more  inland.  This  was  easy 
enough,  as  of  course  the  enemy  had  no  guns  with 
them  to  compare  in  range  with  those  on  board  the 
ironclads.      Some   time  after   my  arrival,  however, 


224  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

they  brought  down  two  fifteen  centimetre  Krupp 
guns  from  Ardalian,  guns  that  had  a  considerably 
longer  range  than  our  twelve-ton  Armstrongs.  They 
gave  us  some  trouble  ;  however,  the  position  of  the 
attacking  camp  was  changed  so  as  to  be  out  of  range 
of  our  guns,  a  move  in  every  way  satisfactory  to  the 
Turkish  military  commander.  This  action  of  our 
fleet  gave  great  annoyance  to  the  enemy,  and  it  was 
determined  if  possible  to  make  our  lying  at  Batoum 
a  dangerous  if  not  impossible  matter.  This  was  to 
be  done  by  the  so-called  almighty  torpedo.  I  re- 
ceived notice  from  our  secret  agent  at  Sebastopol 
that  a  serious  expedition  was  being  organised,  that 
the  Turkish  ships  at  Batoum  were  to  be  destroyed  or 
frightened  away  at  any  cost.  Frightened  away,  indeed  ! 
To  the  uninitiated  a  torpedo  is  a  thing  to  frighten 
any  one  away.  We  had  heard  of  magnificent  results 
of  torpedo  trials  in  peace,  how  ships  (I  fancy  only 
hulks)  had  been  blown  up,  columns  of  water  half 
a  mile  high  being  sent  into  the  air,  &c.  Nothing, 
it  was  said,  could  save  you.  Whatever  my  ideas, 
however  nervous  I  may  have  felt,  I  knew  that  those 
I  was  commanding  had  no  fear — they  don't  know 
what  it  means,  the  more  especially  of  a  not  under- 
stood possible  casualty,  and  though  more  enlightened 
as   to  torpedoes  and  their  accepted  effects,  I  wasn't 


THE  TURKISH  FLEET  DURING  THE  WAR    225 

to  show  my  people  a  bad  example.  When  lying  in 
bed  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  having  read  the  warn- 
ing letter  before  retiring,  I  thought : — '  Suppose  one 
of  these  nasty  things  goes  off  and  blows  the  flagship 
up  at  this  moment.  How  pleasant !  What  cowardly 
things  these  are ;  no  fair  fight,  up  you  go,  unshriven. 
I  have  heard  that  a  man  who  is  hanged  is  likely  to 
go  to  heaven ;  I  wonder  if  the  same  chance  would 
be  given  to  him  blown  up  by  a  torpedo  ? '  These  sort 
of  feelings  came  over  me.  However,  said  I,  'Let 
us  see  if  we  can  prevent  their  being  realised ;  *  so  I 
went  to  work  to  try  to  do  so.  As  a  sportsman  I 
calculated  that  to  fire  at  a  dark  object  in  the  night, 
especially  when  that  object  had  a  background  of  high 
hills  such  as  we  had  at  Batoum,  was  most  difficult, 
so  the  first  order  I  gave  was  no  lights,  not  even  a 
cigarette  light ;  utter  darkness  under  severe  penalties. 
Next,  considering  that  Batoum  is  a  very  small  port, 
with  an  entrance  difficult  to  find  even  in  broad  day- 
light, almost  impossible  in  the  night  without  the 
lighthouse  as  a  guide,  I  ordered  that  the  lighthouse 
should  not  be  lighted.  Then  I  arranged  with  the  shore 
authorities  that  no  lights  should  be  seen  in  the  town ; 
this  was  more  difficult,  as  there  were  many  Kussian 
friendlies  in  Batoum. 

However,   the   application  of  somewhat  severe 


226  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

discipline  made  Batourn  like  a  city  of  the  dead  afler 
dark. 

In  addition  to  tliese  precautions  I  put  a  barrier  of 
booms  ahead  of  the  ships  lying  in  the  port,  placed 
guard-boats  to  watch  it  at  the  entrance  of  the  har- 
bour, and  having  done  all  this,  I  bided  my  time.  For 
some  nights,  rather  sleepless  to  me,  though  to  my 
disgust  I  heard  my  officers  snoring  all  round  me, 
nothing  happened  (though,  as  I  heard  afterwards,  a 
good  deal  had  been  going  on  outside  the  harbour), 
when,  at  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the 
thii'd  or  fourth  night  after  I  had  received  the  warning, 
I  heard  a  row  going  on  iu  the  direction  of  the  guard- 
boats  and  an  explosion  near  to  one  of  the  outlying 
ships.  I  had  hardly  time  to  think,  when  something 
struck  the  chain  of  ray  jflagship  and  seemed  to  spin 
past,  like  a  fish  in  the  water.  Then  dead  silence. 
I  immediately  sent  orders  to  the  two  fast  cruisers, 
which  were  lying  with  steam  up,  to  go  to  sea  and 
reconnoitre. 

Suddenly  I  heard  people  on  shore  calling  out  (I 
forgot  to  mention  that  ships  in  Batoum  harbour  are 
always  lashed  to  the  shore).  I  sent  my  officer  to 
reconnoitre,  who  found  a  gaping  crowd  standing 
round  what  they  thought  was  a  large  fish  lashing  his 
tail,  but  what  in  reality  was  an  unexploded  torpedo 


THE  TURKISH  FLEET  DURING  THE  WAR    227 

with  the  screw  still  in  motion.     On  things  being  calm 
I  went  myself  to  see  what  had  happened  generally 
during   the   attack,  and   found   that  a  torpedo  had 
struck  the  bows  of  one  of  the  ironclads  on  the  belt, 
at  the  waterline   at   an   angle,  had   exploded,  and 
scarcely  left   a   mark ;    that  a  second  torpedo  had, 
after  passing  through  the  planks  on  the   defensive 
baiTier  I  had  placed,  diverged  from  its  course^  and 
gone   quietly  on   shore   as   far   as   the   left   of  the 
squadron ;  that  a  third,  as  I  said,  had  struck  the  chain 
of  the  flagship  and  not  gone  off,  but  had  run  on  to 
the  beach.     The  parts  of  another  torpedo  were  after- 
wards picked  up,  it  evidently  having  exploded  some- 
where down  below.  So  we  could  account  for  four  torpe- 
does having  been  fired  at  us  without  effect ;  probably 
there  were  more.    Those  that  were  on  the  beach  were 
in  a  very  perfect  state,  and  as  soon  as  we  had  rendered 
them  harmless,  we  made  prisoners  of  war  of  them. 
Now  I  have  been  since  informed  of  what  went  on 
outside  Batoum.     It  seems  that  for  three  nights  two 
fast   Russian  steamers,  carrying  torpedo  boats,  had 
been   looking  for   Batoum,  and   as   one  of  my  in- 
formants said,  *  AVe  could  not  find  it  for  love  or  money.* 
A  couple  of  hours  before  daylight  they  had  steamed 
off,  so  as  to  be  out  of  sight  before  break  of  day.     At 
last  they  had  bribed  a  man  to  light  a  fire  in  the  hills 


228  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

behind  the  town,  and  so  on  the  fourth  night  they 
got  somewhere  near  it,  but  they  could  not  make  out 
the  ships  on  account  of  the  duark  land  behind  them. 
The  time  for  steaming  off  having  nearly  come,  they 
determined  to  have  a  shot  at  us,  so  fired  five 
torpedoes  into  what  they  thought  the  centre  of  the 
Turkish  fleet,  with  what  result  we  have  seen.  The 
person  who  told  me  was  one  of  them,  and  said  it  was 
sickening  work  looking  for  Batoum.  It  is  true  the 
nights  were  fearfully  dark,  so  that  the  shape  of  the 
land  could  not  be  made  out.  He  said  that  without 
the  traitor's  light  they  could  not  have  found  us.  1 
am  not  saying  by  this  that  one  should  always  trust 
to  darkness ;  there  are  many  other  ways  now  of 
taking  the  sting  out  of  torpedo  attacks.  It  is 
needless  to  say  that  the  steamers  I  sent  out  returned, 
having  seen  nothing.  While  the  fleet  was  at 
Batoum,  two  or  three  more  torpedo  attacks  were 
made  on  a  smaller  scale  without  effect ;  but  I  have 
bored  my  readers  enough  about  torpedoes — all  I 
know  is  that  I  can  sleep  now  when  in  their  vicinity. 
While  in  the  Black  Sea  I  several  times  went  with 
two  or  three  ships  that  could  be  spared  from  other 
duties  and  reconnoitred  Sebastopol  and  Odessa,  but 
being  fully  convinced  of  the  helplessness  of  few  or 
even  of  many  ships  against  the  heavy  batteries  of  the 


THE  TURKISH  FLEET  DURING  THE  WAR    229 

present  day,  I  did  no  more  than  look  about  me, 
occasionally  exchanging  shots  with  the  enemy.  As 
to  burning  defenceless  towns  and  villages,  I  have 
always  been  thoroughly  adverse  to  such  things,  so  I 
never  undertook  it.  Some  people  think  war  should 
be  made  as  horrible  as  possible ;  in  this  I  do  not 
agree.  I  could  easily  have  burnt  the  Emperor's  palace 
at  Yalta,  but  did  not  think  it  expedient  to  do  so. 

I  have  already  spoken  in  general  terms  of  the 
great  services  rendered  by  the  ironclads  in  moving 
the  troops  about,  but  I  feel  that,  in  justice  to  the 
gallant  crews  of  the  squadron  I  had  the  honour  to 
command  during  the  war,  I  ought  not  to  bring  this 
portion  of  my  narrative  to  a  close  without  mentioning 
more  particularly  a  piece  of  work  of  that  nature 
executed  under  my  immediate  direction. 

The  capture  of  Soukhoum-Kaleh  had  been  followed 
up  by  the  despatch  of  an  expedition  of  some  4,000 
men  of  all  arms  to  a  place  some  thirty  miles  down 
the  coast,  called  Tchamchira.  The  military  commander 
at  Soukhoura  had  some  idea,  I  believe,  that  this  force 
would  be  able  to  make  its  way  inland,  and  thus 
encourage  risings  amongst  the  tribes  against  the 
detested  Muscovite  rule.  The  country,  however,  was 
too  unfavourable  for  the  advance  of  invading  troops, 
being  swampy  ground  ^vith  thick  bush  where  it  was 


230  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

not  an  impenetrable  forest.  The  Russians  also  got 
wind  of  the  intended  movement,  and  to  make  a  long 
story  short,  had  managed  to  collect  a  large  opposing 
force.  The  expedition  was  landed,  but  that  is  all. 
Before  much  could  be  done  to  secure  the  position  as 
a  base — whilst  the  men  in  fact  were  making  entrench- 
ments— the  Russians,  who  under  cover  of  the  forest 
that  extended  right  down  to  the  beach  on  either 
side  had  been  stealthily  making  their  preparations, 
attacked  them  on  all  sides,  and  but  for  the  covering 
fire  of  the  ironclads,  fortunately  still  at  anchor  there, 
would  undoubtedly  have  driven  them  into  the  sea. 

The  result  of  this  action  enabled  the  force  to  esta- 
blish itself  in  the  village,  and  hold  possession  of  the 
small  belt  of  cleared  ground  around  it,  the  extreme 
limit  of  which  was  still  within  the  range  of  the  guns 
of  the  ironclads. 

The  position  of  this  force,  however,  daily  grew 
worse.  The  Russians  had  captured  the  fords,  by 
which  their  retreat  to  Soukhoum  was  cut  off.  They 
were  completely  surrounded,  and  only  owed  their 
preservation  to  the  continual  presence  of  an  ironclad. 
Under  these  circumstances  it  was  thought  advisable 
to  withdraw  the  men,  and  Dervish  Pasha  entrusted 
me  with  the  task.  To  give  an  idea  of  the  precarious 
position   of  this   force,   I   may   mention  that,  as  I 


THE  TURKISH  FLEET  DURING  THE  WAR    231 

approached  the  place  in  my  flagship,  we  heard  the 
sound  of  smart  cannonading,  and  I  found  the  guard- 
sliip  engaged  with  a  battery  of  field-pieces.  The 
Russians  had  recently  received  a  large  accession  of 
force,  and  several  field-guns  of  large  calibre;  and  so, 
not  content  with  troubling  the  camp  daily  with  an 
enfilading  fire,  had  thought  to  try  conclusions  with 
the  heavy  guns  afloat.  On  our  appearance  the  action 
ceased,  the  Russians  withdrawing  their  battery  into 
the  safe  shelter  of  the  forest.  The  Russian  fire  had 
been  well  directed,  and  had  the  guns  been  heavier 
calibre,  considerable  damage  would  have  been  in- 
flicted. As  it  was,  the  upper  works  and  rigging  wei'e 
cut  about  a  great  deal,  and  two  men  killed  and  four 
wounded  on  board  the  ironclad.  After  a  conference 
with  the  general  in  command,  I  proceeded  to 
Soukhoum  to  make  arrangements  for  transport.  I 
had  hardly  arrived  there  when  a  message  from 
Tchamchira  arrived,  urgently  demanding  assistance, 
as  the  Russians  were  advancing  in  great  force.  I 
hurried  back  with  all  the  vessels  I  could  collect  to 
Tchamchira,  three  ironclad  corvettes  and  two  wooden 
paddle-wheel  transports.  Fortunately  the  Russian 
attack  had  not  commenced,  and  the  arrival  of  my 
squadron  probably  led  to  its  postponement  until 
too  late.     To  remove  4,000  men,  bag  and  baggage, 


232  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

with  several  batteries  of  field-pieces  and  a  large 
amount  of  ammunition,  was  no  easy  task  with  the 
small  amount  of  transport  at  my  command.  I  made, 
however,  what  I  considered  to  be  the  best  disposition 
possible  under  the  circumstances. 

The  corvettes  and  the  paddle  transports  were 
moored  in  as  close  to  the  shore  as  possible,  my  inten- 
tion being  to  cram  them  with  men  and  stores  first, 
leaving  my  flagship  free  to  the  last  to  manoeuvre  off 
the  Russian  camp  and  shell  it,  should  the  slightest 
opposition  be  offered  to  the  embarkation.  The  work 
commenced  at  daylight,  and  was  actively  carried  on 
throughout  the  day  and  following  night,  the  last 
batch  of  men  coming  off  at  dawn.  The  men  were 
taken  away  from  under  the  very  teeth,  as  it  were,  of 
the  Russians.  The  ships  in  shore  were  well  within 
rifle  range,  and  the  boats  passing  to  and  fro  were 
exposed  the  whole  time  to  a  fire  fi'om  hidden  foes. 
The  enemy  had  been  evidently  overawed  by  my  pre- 
parations, and  doubtless  thought  it  would  be  better 
for  them  to  allow  the  invading  force  to  retire  un- 
opposed. To  avoid  the  chance  of  grounding,  in  case 
I  should  have  to  use  the  frigate  fire  to  cover  the  em- 
barkation, a  volunteer  crew  had  proceeded  off  the 
Russian  camp  during  the  night,  and  laid  down  a  line 
of  buoys,  to  show  the  limit  of  distance  to  which  the 


THE  TURKISH  FLEET  DURING  THE  WAR    233 

shore  might  be  approached  with  safety.  These  buoys, 
glistening  in  the  sunlight,  doubtless  suggested  to  the 
Russians  that  something  dreadful  was  in  store  for  them 
if  they  attempted  to  fire  a  gun,  and  so  they  contented 
themselves  with  watching  from  the  trees,  amongst  the 
branches  of  which  we  saw  a  number  of  them  perched 
like  so  many  birds  of  prey.  The  whole  credit  of  the 
embarkation  is  due  to  the  efficient  manner  in  which 
the  naval  officers  under  my  command  carried  out  the 
instructions  given  them,  and  the  great  docility  of  the 
Turkish  soldiers.  Soon  after  sunset  the  general  and 
staff  left  the  shore,  and  their  example  was  followed 
by  every  military  officer  of  any  rank ;  so  that  the 
whole  work  devolved  upon  those  I  had  placed  in  com- 
mand of  the  beach  and  the  boats. 

The  men  marched  down  quietly  by  themselves 
and  everything  went  on  like  clockwork.  I  must 
confess  that  I  passed  a  most  anxious  night,  as  I  knew 
not  but  what  at  any  moment  the  enemy  might  make 
a  rush  into  the  entrenchments  the  Turks  were  aban- 
doning, in  order  to  claim  a  victory.  My  own  ship 
was  getting  lumbered  up,  and  I  knew  that  before  long 
it  would  be  impossible  to  work  more  than  one  or  two 
of  the  guns  in  case  of  need.  That  the  Russians, 
however,  could  not  know  this,  was  my  comfort ;  but 
I  must  own  that  it  was  a  great  relief  to  me  when  the 
11 


234  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

last  detachment  left  the  shore.  The  poor  fellows  had 
been  holding  the  outposts  all  night.  They  came  in 
at  the  double,  and  little  time  was  lost  over  their 
embarkation. 

We  steamed  off  at  once  to  Soukhoum,  and  there 
disembarked  the  expedition.  Shortly  after  this  I 
was  called  upon  to  prepare  for  a  veritable  exodus. 
The  evacuation  of  Soukhoum  had  been  decided  upon, 
but  His  Imperial  Majesty  felt  that  the  poor  people, 
who  had  been  expecting  a  permanent  deliverance  from 
the  Russian  yoke,  could  not  be  abandoned  to  those 
whose  vengeance  they  had  excited.  Intimation  was 
therefore  given  that  all  those  desirous  of  leaving  the 
country  should  be  carried  to  Turkish  territory,  and 
provided  with  lands  to  form  new  settlements.  The 
whole  population  pretty  well  made  up  its  mind  to 
leave,  and  came  marching  into  Soukhoum  with  their 
flocks  and  herds,  and  household  goods  and  chattels. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that,  with  the  vessels  under  my  com- 
mand, I  shipped  off  and  landed  at  Batoum,  Trebizonde, 
Sinope,  and  other  ports  on  the  Turkish  coast  some- 
thing like  50,000  people,  counting  men,  women,  and 
children,  within  the  space  of  a  fortnight. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

SPORT    IN    TURKEY. 

I  WILL  now  endeavour  to  give  my  readers  some  idea 
of  life  at  Constantinople.  If  the  resident  is  a  sports- 
man he  can  find  plenty  of  amusement,  game  of  all 
descriptions  being  plentiful.  I  may  say  that  the 
shooting  begins  about  September  1,  when  great 
flights  of  quails  pass  the  environs  of  Constantinople, 
from  the  threatening  winter  of  Russia  to  the  warmer 
climate  of  Egypt,  and  afford  capital  amusement. 
But  really  to  enjoy  the  sport  it  is  necessary  to  go 
somewhat  far,  within  ten  miles  of  Constantinople. 
The  fields  during  the  quail  season  are  filled  with  so- 
called  sportsmen  to  such  an  extent  that  one  has 
every  chance  of  being  mistaken  for  a  quail,  and 
potted  accordingly.  I  have  counted  at  St.  Stephano, 
a  place  about  nine  miles  from  Stamboul,  celebrated 
for  treaties  and  quails,  both  in  due  season,  more  than 
five  hundred  sportsmen  accompanied  by  howling  curs 


236  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

of  every  description.  Such  a  sight  is  worth  looking 
at,  but  for  sport,  well — it  is  better  to  leave  gun  and 
dogs  at  home. 

I  once  ventured  out  among  the  motley  crowd  of 
quail-shooters ;  there  happened  to  be  a  flight  of 
quails,  so  the  fire  kept  up  very  much  resembled  a 
field-day  on  Southsea  Common.  I  was  hit  all  over 
with  (thank  goodness !)  very  small  shot,  and  made  a 
rapid  retreat  to  save  my  skin  from  perforation. 

However,  going  some  distance  along  the  coast, 
away  from  the  enemy,  one  may  at  times  get  capital 
sport  during  the  months  of  September  and  October ; 
for  example,  a  single  gun  may  bag  a  hundred  and 
fifty  to  two  hundred  quails  in  a  day. 

After  the  quail  comes  the  partridge  shooting, 
which  is  very  good,  especially  in  the  islands  of  the 
Turkish  archipelago,  where  there  are  great  numbers 
of  red-legged  partridges  affording  famous  sport. 

To  properly  enjoy  the  shooting  in  Turkey  a 
yacht  is  necessary,  as  the  best  of  it  is  to  be  found  in 
the  islands  and  near  to  the  sea-coast,  in  places  quite 
inaccessible  to  roads. 

For  example,  the  islands  of  Mitros,  Lemnos,  and 
Mytelene  abound  in  partridges,  and  the  shooting 
there  is  really  capital. 

Either  by  bringing  a  yacht  from  England,  or  by 


SPORT  IN  TURKEY  237 

hiring  one  at  Constantinople,  the  real  sportsman  may 
have  great  amusement  while  shooting,  with  Con- 
stantinople as  headquarters.  He  will  find  in  Asia 
Minor  deer  of  all  descriptions,  wild  boars  and  wolves. 
Then  he  will  have  capital  sport  with  geese,  ducks, 
woodcocks  and  partridges,  and  snipe. 

Occasionally  he  must  rough  it  somewhat  while 
sleeping  in  villages  some  little  distance  from  the  sea- 
coast  for  a  night  or  two,  instead  of  retiring  on  board 
his  floating  home,  and  on  this  head  I  would  give  a 
word  of  advice  to  the  sportsman.  Always  take  up 
your  quarters  in  a  Turkish  village,  if  possible,  in 
preference  to  a  Greek  village.  At  the  former  you 
will  find  the  traditional  hospitality  of  the  Oriental, 
even  among  the  very  poor  people,  practised  in  every 
sense  of  the  word ;  whilst  in  the  latter  you  will  be 
exploits  (there  is  no  English  word  that  signifies  as 
well  what  I  mean)  to  the  last  degree,  even  to  the 
pilfering  of  your  cartridges. 

I  have  seen  on  arriving  at  a  Turkish  village 
every  one  vie  with  the  other,  and  doing  their  very 
utmost  to  make  the  sportsman  and  his  party  com- 
fortable. I  have  seen  '  harems,'  such  as  they  are, 
cleaned  out  and  prepared  as  a  sleeping  apartment, 
all  the  inmates  huddling  together  in  some  little 
comer.     I  have  remarked  one  old  woman  arrive  with 


238  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

a  couple  of  eggs,  another  with  what  was  perhaps  her 
pet  fowl,  to  be  sacrificed  at  the  altar  of  hospitality 
— in  fact,  only  one  idea  seemed  to  animate  them, 
namely,  hospitality,  and  it  is  touching  to  see  how 
they  shrink  from  the  proffered  reward  made  by  the 
sportsman  on  leaving  these  kind  though  poor  and 
long-suffering  people. 

There  are  different  kinds  of  deer  to  be  found  in 
Asia  Minor,  which  strangely  enough  imitate  the  habits 
of  the  inhabitants,  Greek,  Turk,  and  Armenian,  by 
not  herding  together. 

First,  there  is  the  large  red  deer  which  generally 
inhabit  the  high  mountains  and  are  difficult  to  get, 
except  when  the  winter  snow  drives  them  down  into 
the  lower  grounds.  I  have  been  fortunate  enough  to 
kill  several  of  these  splendid  animals  during  my 
sojourn  in  Turkey.  I  will  give  my  readers  an  account 
of  how  I  shot  two  of  them.  One  day  during  the 
winter,  when  the  mountains  were  covered  with  snow, 
I  received  news  that  three  deer  of  the  largest  de- 
scription were  in  a  ravine  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain 
some  six  hours'  distance  from  Ismidt.  I  immediately 
started  off  in  pursuit.  I  must  mention  that  all 
persons  of  high  rank  in  Turkey  have,  or  had  at  the 
time  I  write  of,  by  their  shooting  firman,  the  right 
to  call  upon  the  villagers  in  the  neighbourhood  in 


SPORT  m  TURKEY  239 

which  they  are  shooting  to  assist  in  driving  or 
searching  for  game.  In  ray  case  it  was  not  necessary 
to  take  advantage  of  such  an  oflTer ;  every  one  was 
on  the  alert  for  my  arrival.  The  people  told  me 
that  that  very  morning  they  had  seen  the  noble 
beasts  I  was  after,  grazing  outside  the  wood.  So, 
gathering  the  villagers,  boys  carrying  horns,  men 
(much  against  my  will)  carrying  guns,  accompanied 
by  every  available  dog,  from  the  grand  shepherd's 
dog  to  the  yapping  cur  of  the  village,  off  we  started. 
The  ravine  was  thickly  wooded,  and  extended  far 
up  the  mountain,  where  it  ended  in  a  bare  spot 
without  trees.  To  this  place  I  went  alone,  leaving 
the  crowd  behind  me  with  directions  not  to  move 
till  I  was  in  my  place,  which  instruction  they  most 
strictly  followed.  After  half  an  hour's  walk  I  ar- 
rived at  the  place  I  have  named.  I  had  hardly  time 
to  regain  my  breath  when  I  heard  a  row  below  me 
as  if  Bedlam  had  been  let  loose.  I  loaded  my  gun 
with  buckshot  in  one  barrel  and  ball  in  the  other, 
and  remained  as  quiet  as  a  mouse.  As  the  noise  of 
the  beaters  and  dogs  approached  me,  I  heard  a  crash 
in  the  bushes  within  about  forty  yards  of  me,  and 
presently  a  magnificent  stag  as  big  as  a  cow  came 
slowly  out  of  the  cover,  looking  behind  him,  evidently 
not  expecting  an  enemy  in  front.     As  soon  as  he 


240  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

was  well  clear  of  the  bushes,  I  fired  at  him  with 
buckshot  and  killed  him  dead.  I  hardly  had  time 
to  think,  when,  with  a  tremendous  rush,  two  other 
large  deer  broke  out  of  the  wood  straight  at  me  at 
full  gallop.  I  fired  a  bullet  at  the  foremost  one,  which 
turned  back  into  the  woods  apparently  wounded,  and 
so  it  proved,  for  it  ran  among  the  beaters,  evidently 
having  lost  its  head,  and  was  soon  despatched  among 
dogs,  men  and  guns.  He  was  a  stag  also,  and  as  I 
claimed  to  have  shot  him,  I  may  say  that  I  had  the 
luck  to  shoot  a  brace  of  splendid  stags  right  and  left. 
There  is  not  a  sportsman  in  Europe  who  would  not 
have  been  delighted  at  such  a  chance  of  red  deer  like 
these ;  such  as  are  not  seen  anywhere  except  in  Asia 
Minor.  The  largest  one  had  nineteen  points  to  his 
antlers,  weighed  when  cleaned  a  hundred  and  fifteen 
okes,  equal  to  three  hundred  and  twenty  pounds 
English  measure,  and  certainly  was  the  largest  stag 
I  have  ever  met  with,  either  in  Scotland  or  in  Austria. 
During  the  sixteen  years  that  I  have  passed  in  the 
East  I  have  only  succeeded  in  killing  four  of  these 
splendid  animals.  This  I  attribute  very  much  to 
the  want  of  proper  deerhounds,  which  unfortunately  I 
have  not  been  able  to  procure. 

The  crowd  of  beaters  make  so  much  noise  that 
the  deer  slip  away  at  the  sides  of  the  thick  covers 


SPORT  IN  TURKEY  241 

nnseen,  whereas  dogs  would  drive  tliem  more  in  a 
straight  line  towards  the  shooters  if  they  are  properly- 
posted.  In  addition  to  this,  it  is  always  a  great 
advantage  when  the  hounds  give  tongue,  and  so 
warn  the  sportsman  of  the  whereabouts  of  the  game. 
These  hounds,  called  *  colpoys,'  can  be  procured  in 
Roumania  and  Hungary.  There  is  another  descrip- 
tion of  deer  found  near  the  sea-coast  in  some  parts 
of  Asia  Minor,  which  I  will  describe.  It  is  in  fact 
the  pure  wild  fallow  deer  that  stocks  the  parks  of 
Europe,  and  if  I  am  rightly  informed  is  only  to  be 
found  wild  in  Asia  Minor,  and  even  there  it  is 
rare. 

I  understand  that  in  India  or  in  Africa,  where 
there  are  hundreds  of  different  sorts  of  deer,  the  real 
fallow  is  not  to  be  found.  While  shooting  at  a  place 
called  Camaris,  near  to  Gallipoli,  two  years  since, 
I  discovered  several  herds  of  these  deer,  beautiful 
creatures,  wild  as  hawks,  and  accordingly  laid 
myself  out  to  shoot  some  of  them  if  possible.  I 
tried  driving,  stalking,  and  every  manoeuvre  to  cir- 
cumvent them,  without  success.  At  last  one  day 
I  started  with  my  beaters  to  a  place  where  there 
were  many  tracks  of  fallow  deer.  I  was  posted  at  a 
sort  of  small  mountain  pen,  having  on  one  side  of 
me  a  young  friend  of  mine,  and  at  the  other  a  native 


242  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

(these  fellows  won't  go  out  unless  they  are  allowed  to 
carry  their  guns). 

Shortly  after  the  beaters  had  begun  to  halloo, 
a  fallow  hind  glided  by  between  me  and  my  young 
friend,  like  a  ghost.  Not  a  sound  in  the  wood 
gave  notice  of  its  approach.  It  was  even  quieter  in 
its  movements  than  a  hare  would  have  been.  I  put 
up  my  gun  to  fire,  but  seeing  my  friend's  head  right 
in  the  way  and  in  a  line  with  its  muzzle,  I  waited  a 
second,  but  the  deer  was  gone.  I  had  scarcely  got 
over  my  disappointment  when  I  heard  the  branches 
breaking  in  the  wood  very  near  to  me,  and  suddenly 
a  deer  sprang  right  over  my  head,  taking  a  flying 
leap,  like  a  hunter  would  do  over  a  fence. 

This  unusual  action  on  the  part  of  the  deer 
called  for  unusual  action  on  my  part.  As  he  had 
taken  a  flying  leap  over  my  head,  I  took  a  flying 
shot  at  him  a  second  before  he  landed  on  the  other 
side  of  me.  The  result  was  that  he  rolled  over  like 
a  rabbit,  shot  from  underneath  through  the  heart. 
This  deer  proved  to  be  a  very  fine  specimen  of  the 
fallow,  every  point  showing  him  to  be  of  that  species, 
except  his  antlers,  which  were  quite  straight.  This 
I  cannot  account  for ;  the  natives,  who  had  remarked 
this  deer  on  several  occasions  feeding  with  the  herd 
of  fallow  deer,  called  it  the  '  Cassic  Boa,'  which  means 


SPORT  IN   TURKEY  243 

*  straight-horned.'  Some  time  after  this  I  had  some 
good  sport  with  the  fallow  deer.  Having  got  more 
accustomed  to  their  habits,  I  found  that  it  was  of  no 
use  trying  to  approach  them,  their  scent  being  too 
keen,  their  eyesight  too  sliarp ;  the  only  way  to  get 
them  is  by  very  careful,  in  fact  I  may  say  scientific, 
driving. 

Good  boar  shooting  may  be  had  by  going  some 
little  distance  from  Constantinople.  It  usually  is 
done  either  by  beaters  or  with  boarhounds ;  but  I 
have  had  very  good  sport  at  boar  while  hunting  for 
woodcocks  and  pheasants,  in  what  may  be  called 
covert  shooting  — not  exactly  English  covert  shooting, 
in  which  almost  every  tree  is  known  by  the  keepers, 
but  in  coverts  of  great  extent,  in  which  there  are 
almost  impassable  thickets,  made  still  more  impass- 
able by  a  well-kno^vn  bramble  called  the  '  wait  a 
bit,'  a  thing  that  hooks  on  to  your  eyelids  as  you 
pass. 

There  it  is  that  in  these  coverts  spaniels,  half- 
English,  half  country-bred  dogs,  do  frequently  the 
work  of  beaters,  and  it  is  a  strange  fact  that  while 
piggy  starts  at  once  from  his  lair  at  the  approach  of 
the  boarhounds,  he  will  not  budge  an  inch  for  the 
little  yapping  spaniel,  whom  he  treats  with  contempt. 

I  have  known  many  instances  when,  on  hearing  a 


244  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

jolly  row  in  the  covert,  I  have  crawled  in  on  my 
hands  and  knees,  and  found  a  boar  being  bayed  by 
my  spaniels — in  fact,  I  have  killed  more  pigs  in  this 
way  than  in  any  other.  The  danger  is  that  you  may 
have  your  dogs  killed  by  the  boar ;  this  has  happened 
to  me  on  one  or  two  occasions,  more  especially  with 
young  dogs. 

I  had  once  a  cunning  old  spaniel  dog  (poor 
*  Dick,'  well  known  to  most  sportsmen  out  here),  who 
has  frequently  come  out  of  the  wood  with  his  mouth 
full  of  pig's  hair,  he  evidently  having  torn  the  hair  oflf 
the  animal  while  laying  in  his  lair.  (Dick  was 
never  hurt  by  a  pig.)  I  have  often  surrounded,  with 
my  brother  sportsmen  and  myself,  large  bushes  in 
which  the  piggies  were  securely  hidden,  driven  them 
out,  and  shot  them  as  one  would  do  hares  or  rabbits. 

I  have  heard  a  good  deal  of  the  danger  of  pig 
shooting,  on  account  of  the  savage  propensities  of  the 
animal ;  but  I  have  found  that,  with  very  rare  excep- 
tions, the  Anatolian  wild  boar  always  runs.  It  is 
true  that  they  (she  or  he,  the  females  are  the  most 
savage)  have  a  nasty  knack  of  giving  a  sort  of  jerk 
with  their  heads,  when  fighting  or  even  passing  an 
enemy,  and  that  jerk  means  to  a  man  the  ripping  up 
of  his  leg  from  his  heel  to  his  thigh,  to  a  dog  the 
tearing  open  of  his  entrails. 


SPORT  IN  TURKEY  245 

On  one  occasion  I  was  out  cock  shooting,  when 
Bonie  shepherds'  dogs  in  a  valley  adjoining  that  in 
which  I  was  walking  started  a  large  wild  boar,  a 
beast  they  call  a  '  solitaire,^  from  the  fact  that  he  is 
always  seen  after  a  certain  time  of  life  alone.  The 
animal  made  for  a  ridge  dividing  the  valleys ;  on 
getting  there  he  passed  along  the  sky-line,  about 
eighty  yards  from  where  I  was.  I  changed  my 
cartridges  and  fired  a  ball  at  the  pig,  who  rushed 
away,  apparently  unshot  ;  on  going  to  the  spot, 
however,  where  he  had  passed  when  I  fired,  I  found 
some  drops  of  blood.  This  blood  I  traced  for  about 
half  a  mile,  till  I  came  to  a  large  clump  of  bushes  into 
which  my  spaniels  dashed,  evidently  close  to  their 
game.  I  heard  a  tremendous  row  in  the  bushes,  had 
hardly  time  to  prepare  when  the  great  beast  with  his 
eyes  all  bloodshot  and  foaming  at  the  mouth  rushed 
straight  at  me.  I  was  on  a  narrow  path,  from  which 
there  was  no  escape,  as  the  boar  was  tearing  up  it, 
followed  by  the  dogs.  I  fired  a  ball  straiglit  in  his 
face,  at  the  distance  of  about  two  yards,  in  spite  of 
which  he  rushed  straight  on,  knocked  me  clean  over, 
and  while  passing  me  made  the  usual  dangerously 
effective  jerk  I  have  alluded  to  above,  by  which  he 
cut  my  hoot  from  the  atikle  to  the  thigh,  drew  a  little 
blood  just  above  and  inside  of  the  knee;  after  which 


246  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

tlie  boar  ruslied  headlong  for  about  thirty  yards  and 
dropped  dead.  I  found  tliat  my  bullet  had  smashed 
through  his  forehead  straight  between  the  eyes  and 
gone  into  his  brain. 

He  was  an  enormous  brute,  weighing  when 
cleaned  twenty-one  stone ;  carrying  the  finest  tusks 
I  have  seen  anywhere  as  belonging  to  a  wild  boar.  I 
only  had  one  man  with  me  ;  we  were  what  may  be 
called  eight  nodles  from  anywhere.  Still  I  was  deter- 
mined not  to  leave  my  prize  ;  so  I  sent  my  man  for  a 
country  waggon,  and  sitting  down  on  my  now  harm- 
less beast,  smoked  cigarettes  and  waited  quietly  till 
the  vehicle  came. 

Now,  apropos  to  wild  boar  attacking  people,  I 
am  convinced  that  this  animal  had  no  intention  of 
attacking  me. 

He  was,  though  badly  wounded  by  the  first  shot, 
running  from  the  dogs,  and  I  got  in  his  way.  Voild 
tout  !  On  only  one  other  occasion  I  nearly  came  to 
grief  while  boar-shooting.  On  my  arriving  at  a 
Turkish  village  one  night,  I  was  told  that  there  was 
an  enormous  boar  in  the  neighbourhood,  who  for 
a  long  time  had  been  the  terror  of  the  country, 
inasmuch  as  he,  accompanied  by  a  large  party  of  the 
pig  tribe,  had  rooted  up  the  crops  all  round  the 
village,  destroyed  gardens,  and  tradition  even  said 


SPORT  IN  TURKEY  247 

had  killed  children  and  eaten  them  (this  latter  story 
I  don't  take  in).  However,  the  poor  people  prayed 
me  with  tears  in  their  eyes  to  rid  them  of  their 
enemy,  which  I  promised  to  do  if  possible.  So  the 
next  morning  off  we  started  in  the  following  order : 
first,  myself  and  friends,  accompanied  by  the  elders 
of  the  village  armed  with  old-fashioned  guns;  then 
the  young  men  with  knives  and  big  sticks,  the  women 
and  children  bringing  up  the  rear  as  lookers-on.  I 
and  my  two  friends  were  escorted  into  the  centre  of 
a  large  wood,  in  which  very  original  seats  in  trees  had 
been  knocked  up  for  us.  The  object  of  these  seats 
was  for  our  personal  safety,  but  I  as  a  sportsman  saw 
at  once  that  to  be  up  a  tree  was  not  only  advantageous 
in  that  respect,  but  also  that  we  should  be  much  more 
invisible,  hidden  among  the  branches  of  a  tree,  than 
by  being  stationed  on  the  ground.  So  we  mounted 
our  trees,  and  the  beaters  went  into  the  woods  some 
half  a  mile  from  us.  I  never  heard  such  a  row  as 
they  made  when  they  began  the  drive ;  they  beat 
drums,  fired  guns,  rang  bells,  and  it  was  evident  to 
me  that  no  wild  beast  would  hold  to  his  lair  under 
such  a  torrent  of  abuse.  I  found  the  words  they 
were  using  were  curses  on  the  wild  boar.  I  saw  two 
or  three  fallow  deer  glide  past  me,  with  their  usual 
ghostlike  silence,  and  shortly  afterwards  the  woods 


248  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

very  near  me  seemed  to  shake  with  something  coming. 
Suddenly  some  fifteen  to  twenty  wild  boar  appeared 
among  the  bushes,  coming  straight  towards  me.  The 
first  of  these  was  an  enormous  brute,  evidently  <7^0 
boar  we  wanted. 

I  heard  shots  on  either  side  of  me  from  my 
friends,  but  I  kept  my  eye  on  the  big  boar.  To  my 
astonishment  he  came  right  under  the  tree  where  I 
was  sitting,  and  stopped  to  listen. 

He  cocked  his  head  on  one  side,  looked  all  round 
him,  but  forgot  to  look  up  the  tree  he  was  quite 
close  to,  in  which  was  his  enemy. 

Taking  advantage  of  this  I  fired  a  ball  and  an 
S.S.G.  cartridge  into  him,  before  he  could  make  up 
his  mind  which  way  to  go ;  he  gave  a  tremendous 
grunt  and  rolled  over.  I  had  not  time  to  be  overjoyed 
at  my  luck  before  I  found  myself  rolling  on  the 
ground  alongside  of  my  victim,  who,  not  being  dead, 
was  by  no  means  a  pleasant  companion.  The  fact  is 
that  the  seat  on  which  I  had  been  perched,  having 
been  very  carelessly  put  up,  had  given  way,  and 
down  I  came  from  a  height  of  about  twelve  feet.  The 
branches  of  the  tree  had  broken  my  fall,  but  my  gun 
had  fallen  out  of  my  hand  and  I  had  sprained  my 
ankle,  so  that  I  was  in  rather  an  awkward  position. 
The  boar  was  shot  through  the  spine,  and  could  not 


SPORT  JN  TURKEY  249 

get  along,  though  he  made   frantic   efibrts   to   get 
at  me. 

It  was  of  no  use  my  calling  out  for  help ;  every- 
body was  calling  out,  everybody  was  excited,  firing 
at  the  lots  of  pigs  that  were  running  about  in  all 
directions.  At  the  moment  when  I  began  to  think 
affairs  somewhat  serious  (I  tried  to  get  up  and  walk, 
but  could  not  do  so  on  account  of  my  ankle),  as  the 
boar  was  crawling  towards  me,  looking  very  mis- 
chievous, two  great  shepherd's  dogs  arrived  on  the 
scene,  and  went  straight  in  for  my  enemy.  Poor 
beast !  He  made  a  gallant  fight ;  he  could  hardly 
move,  but  he  could  use  his  head,  and  he  tore  one  of 
the  dogs  open  in  a  frightful  way ;  then  two  or  three 
men  came  up,  but  they  were  afraid  to  go  near  to  the 
boar.  I  made  them  hand  me  my  gun  that  was  lying 
on  the  ground  near  me,  with  which  I  soon  put  a  stop 
to  the  battle.  Then  all  the  people  began  to  muster 
round  their  dead  enemy,  and  it  was  laughable  to  see 
and  hear  how  they  abused  and  kicked  the  body  of 
the  pig.  How  to  get  the  carcass  away  was  the  next 
question.  We  sent  fur  two  waggons  and  four  or  five 
Christians  (as  the  Turks  won't  touch  pig),  one  to 
carry  me,  the  others  the  boar ;  so,  after  being  placed 
in  the  waggons,  we  made  with  piggy  a  triumphant 
return  to  the  village.     Luckily  the  village  was  on  the 


250  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

sea-sliore,  and  my  yaclit  was  lying  close  to  tlie  land, 
so  I  got  on  board  comfortably  ;  but  it  was  several 
days  before  I  could  walk. 

I  believe  that  that  pig  was  7iasty,  and  would  have 
given  me  the  jerk  if  he  could  have  done  so.  Five 
other  boar  were  killed  on  that  occasion,  one  of  my 
friends  killing  two  ;  but  I  had  the  honour  of  killing 
the  boar  of  the  period  in  that  part  of  the  world. 
While  referring  to  that  neighbourhood,  I  would  men~ 
tion  that  it  was  within  five  miles  of  the  place  I  have 
been  writing  about  that  poor  Captain  Selby,  of  H.M.S. 
'  Rapid,'  was  killed,  some  two  years  since.  There 
are  people  who  think  that  he  was  attacked  and  mur- 
dered by  robbers.  Such  is  not  the  case  ;  his  death 
was  a  most  unfortunate  occurrence  brought  on  by  a 
misunderstanding. 

It  is  true  that  the  man  who  shot  poor  Selby  was 
an  ignorant  savage,  but  there  was  no  premeditation. 
It  was  a  word  and  a  blow.  The  latter,  though  inex- 
cusable to  the  last  degree,  was  given  by  a  ruffian  whose 
class  are  in  the  habit  of  shooting  and  stabbing  one 
another  (let  alone  strangers,  whom  they  detest)  at 
the  slightest  provocation.  They  are  not  natives  of 
Turkey,  but  come  of  strange  tribes  who  live  far 
away  and  are  hired  to  guard  the  sheep  in  the  winter 
months,  returning  to  their  homes  in  the  summer.     I 


SPORT  IN  TURKEY  251 

went  myself  to  the  spot  where  the  sad  occurrence 
took  place  shortly  afterwards,  and  found  the  people 
very  penitent  and  very  frightened.  Let  us  hope  that 
the  punishment  awarded  to  the  principal  actors  in 
the  sad  affair  will  be  a  salutary  warning  for  the  future. 

As  brigandage  may  be  considered  as  in  some  way 
connected  with  sporting,  inasmuch  as  many  refrain 
from  going  out  shooting  when  they  fear  being  robbed 
and  murdered,  I  will  say  a  few  words  about  brigand- 
age in  Anatolia. 

I  have  been  for  seventeen  years  an  ardent  lover 
of  sport  in  Turkey,  and  have  generally  shot  in  Asia 
Minor.  I  have  slept  in  villages  that  were  supposed 
to  be  inhabited  by  brigands.  I  have  been  almost 
alone  among  an  armed  crowd  of  beaters,  all  of  whom 
had  the  reputation  of  being  robbers,  but  I  have 
never  been  robbed  or  threatened  with  robbery. 
Perhaps  there  exists  a  sort  of  sympathy  between 
brigands  and  sportsmen,  for  I  cannot  call  to  mind  any 
instance  of  a  sportsman  being  robbed.  It  is  true  that 
sometimes  a  fat  financier,  or  rich  rentier^  who  may 
have  called  himself  a  sportsman,  has  been  carried  off 
and  ransom  demanded  for  him,  but  a  real  sportsman 
never. 

It  is  true  that  in  some  of  the  villages  where  dwell 
the  peoples  of  a  nation  I  am  not  supposed  to  love. 


252  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

you  are  liable  to  and  probably  will  be  exploite  to  a 
considerable  extent  in  the  way  of  pilfering  cartridges, 
&c.,  but  it  is  their  nature  to.  So,  brother  sportsmen, 
when  you  come  out  here  take  your  abode  in  Turkish 
villaores. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

SPORT    AND    SOCIETY. 

I  HAVE  mentioned,  in  what  I  have  written  above 
relating  to  sport,  the  name  of  a  somewhat  celebrated 
spaniel  of  mine,  whose  name  was  '  Dick.* 

The  commencement  of  this  bow-wow's  career  was 
as  strange  as  the  many  adventures  he  afterwards  went 
through.  "When  he  was  quite  a  young  dog,  he  once 
worked  with  me  all  day  in  ice  and  snow,  and  at  last 
fell  down  lifeless.  A  heavy  snowstorm  was  raging, 
and  as  poor  Dick  seemed  quite  dead,  we  made  him  a 
grave  in  the  snow  and  covered  him  up  with  leaves 
and  bushes.  We  accomplished  this  with  difficulty, 
on  account  of  the  blinding  snow  and  the  streams 
that  were  much  swollen  by  torrents  from  the  moun- 
tains. Dick's  burial-place  was  about  eight  miles  from 
where  the  vessel  was  lying.  We  all  got  on  board 
that  night.  I  was  deeply  grieved  at  the  loss  of  the 
dog,  who  had  already  shown  great  promise  as  a  first- 


254  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

class  sporting  dog,  a  most  difficult  tiling  to  procure 
in  this  country.  What  was  our  astonishment  the 
next  morning  at  daylight  to  see  Dick  on  the  beach, 
making  piteous  howls  to  draw  attention  to  his  where- 
abouts. He  was  warmly  welcomed,  as  may  be  sup- 
posed ;  he  did  not  seem  a  bit  the  worse  for  his  brief 
sojourn  in  the  grave,  and  went  out  shooting  again 
the  same  day  as  happy  as  ever.  This  enthusiastic 
little  spaniel  was  always  doing  strange  things;  he 
followed  every  fox  and  every  badger  into  their  holes, 
and  we  have  had,  time  after  time,  to  dig  him  out 
covered  with  blood  and  fearfully  mauled,  after 
having  passed  perhaps  twenty-four  hours  in  the 
earth. 

Mr.  Dick  generally  hunted  alone,  occasionally 
coming  near  to  see  that  I  was  all  right.  Now  this 
sounds  bad  for  Dick's  qualities  as  a  sporting  dog,  but 
such  a  dog  is  necessary  in  a  thickly-wooded  region 
such  as  I  shot  in,  when  one  wants  to  know  what  is  in 
the  country. 

Dick,  when  he  found  anything,  barked  loudly ; 
and  this  drew  attention  to  the  fact  that  there  was 
game  in  that  quarter.  Sometimes,  of  course,  he  di'ovo 
the  game  away ;  at  others  he  drove  it  towards  me. 
At  all  events  he  went  to  places  where  I  never  could 
have  gone.     On  one  occasion  I  heard  a  great  noise 


SPORT  AND  SOCIETY  255 

among  some  long  reeds  near  a  lake  were  I  was  duck 
shooting — Dick  barking,  some  other  animal  making  a 
strange  noise.  This  went  on  so  long  that  at  last  I 
went  to  see  what  was  the  matter.  After  much 
trouble  I  got  into  the  reeds  and  approached  the  noise, 
which  was  momentarily  getting  worse.  On  coming 
close  I  found  an  animal  about  Dick's  size  standing 
on  its  hind  legs  and  fighting  with  its  fore  paws,  Dick 
covered  with  blood,  fighting  hard  and  watching  an 
opportunity  to  close  with  his  enemy.  On  my  approach 
the  animal  dropped  on  to  fore  paws  and  endeavoured 
to  escape,  on  which  Dick  jumped  on  to  him,  thus 
making  it  very  difficult  for  me  to  use  my  gun. 
However,  at  last,  by  watching  my  opportunity,  I 
fired  a  shot  which  disposed  of  the  fighting  powers  of 
the  beast,  which  turned  out  to  be  a  very  large  badger. 
I  never  could  understand  what  he  was  doing  so  far 
away  from  his  place  of  refuge.  Was  he  after  ducks, 
or  what  ?  The  animal  was  at  least  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
away  from  dry  land,  being  in  the  middle  of  a  marsh 
overgrown  with  reeds.  Another  of  ]\Ir.  Dick's  adven- 
tures ended  more  unfortunately  for  him,  as  I  fear  he 
never  got  over  its  effects.  I  again,  as  on  the  last 
occasion,  heard  him  evidently  furiously  engaged  with 
something  in  a  thick  wood.  After  crawling  on  my 
hands  and  knees  for  some  time,  I  found  Dick  and 


256  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

two  other  of  my  spaniels  in  furious  combat  with  an 
enormous  wild  cat,  who  when  I  came  up  was  holding 
her  own  against  the  dogs.  The  beast  got  her  back 
against  a  tree,  and  was  fighting  all  three  dogs,  keeping 
them  at  a  respectful  distance.  My  man  seized  a 
piece  of  wood,  more  like  a  little  tree  than  a  stick,  and 
made  a  blow  at  the  cat,  which  blow  unfortunately 
came  down  with  great  force  on  Dick's  head.  The 
poor  dog  lay  senseless  for  some  time,  and  then 
crawled  away,  seeming  to  say,  'I'll  have  nothing 
more  to  do  with  you.'  He  never  recovered  that  blow, 
and  became  quite  a  different  dog,  dying  some  months 
afterwards. 

The  feathered  game  shooting  is  very  good  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Constantinople.  Pheasants,  though 
rare,  may  be  obtained  five  or  six  in  a  day.  I  have 
killed  fifteen  to  my  own  gun,  and  with  a  party  of 
three  we  bagged  sixty-six  in  three  days. 

Snipe  shooting  is  also  very  good.  An  idea  of  the 
bags  that  may  be  made  will  be  seen  when  I  say  that  at 
Besika  Bay,  close  to  the  Dardanelles,  I  killed  in  three 
days  three  hundred  and  three  snipe,  an  average  of  one 
hundred  and  one  a  day.  When  there  is  snow  lying 
on  the  hills  there  are  plenty  of  cock ;  myself  and  two 
friends  having  killed  in  three  days  two  hundred  and 
ninety-eight  long  bills. 


SPORT  AND  SOCIETY  257 

My  best  bag  in  cock  has  been  sixty-three  in  one 
day's  shooting  alone.  I  have  lately  taken  to  punting 
after  ducks,  and  have  been  very  successful.  One  gets 
twenty  to  thirty  a  day,  and  occasionally  a  swan.  I  once 
killed  four  of  the  latter  with  one  shot  from  my  punt 
gun  (one  of  Holland  &  Holland's).  Hares  are  not 
very  numerous ;  to  get  three  or  four  in  a  day  is  counted 
good  luck ;  but  one  generally  picks  up  one  or  two 
during  a  day's  shooting.  Thus  the  sum  of  what  you 
have  in  this  countiy  is  red  deer,  fallow  deer,  roe 
deer,  pigs,  wolves,  and  bears  (as  to  the  latter,  rare), 
hares,  pheasants,  cocks,  snipe,  quails,  and  ducks; 
so  that  a  man  who  lays  himself  out  for  sport  and 
has  a  yacht  can  have  plenty  of  amusement  between 
September  and  March. 

The  coast  of  Karamania,  taking  in  all  the  coast 
from  some  distance  below  Smyrna,  passing  Rhodes 
and  so  on  to  the  Gulf  of  Ayas,  affords  all  the  way 
along  capital  sport  to  yachting  men.  For  example, 
in  the  large  gulfs  of  Boudroum  and  Marmorice, 
capital  anchorage  will  be  found,  and  a  country  almost 
virgin  as  far  as  sport  is  concerned. 

Some  years  since,  while  commanding  an  English 

ship-of-war,    I    had   the    good   fortune   to   be   sent 

on  a  roving  commission  against  pirates  that  were 

supposed  to  infest  that  coast.     Somehow  I  always 

12 


2s8  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

imagined  tliat  pirates  wei'e  more  or  less  sportsmen, 
so  I  hunted  for  them  in  places  that  looked  gamey, 
and  thus  made  the  acquaintance  of  many  almost 
unknown,  or  at  all  events  unfrequented,  harbours  and 
creeks,  in  which  I  had  famous  sport.  On  the  coast 
of  Karamania  the  ibex  is  to  be  found  in  considerable 
quantities ;  the  red-legged  partridge  and  the  fran- 
colin  are  also  very  abundant,  and  give  capital  sport. 

There  are  also  at  the  head  of  the  gulf  I  have 
alluded  to  large  marshes  for  duck  and  snipe.  The 
most  celebrated,  because  the  best  known  place  in  the 
part  I  am  alluding  to,  is  the  Gulf  of  Ayas,  into  which 
runs  the  well-known  (to  all  naval  sportsmen)  river 
called  the  Jihoon,  A  yacht  must  anchor  at  some  dis- 
tance off  the  entrance  of  this  river,  but  the  anchorage 
is  quite  safe  in  all  weathers.  Getting  over  the  bar  of 
the  river  is  a  matter  at  times  of  considerable  difficulty, 
but  once  inside  the  bar  you  are  in  the  paradise  of 
shooting.  A  small  steam  launch  is  necessary  to  stem 
the  strong  current,  and  to  tow  another  boat  up  with 
tents,  provisions,  &c.  It  is  true  that  in  my  time  we 
had  no  steam  launches,  and  I  shall  not  forget  the 
hard  work  we  had  to  take  two  boats  sufficiently  far 
up  the  river  to  get  well  into  the  shooting  grounds, 
and  even  after  two  days'  struggling  we  did  not  arrive 
BO  far  as  I  fahould  have  wished  (we,  in  fact,  only  got 


SPORT  AND  SOCIETY  259 

four  miles  up  the  stream.  Still  we  had  some  rare  sport, 
the  more  especially  with  pigs  and  francolin.  The 
morning  after  we  had  pitched  our  tents  some  wander- 
ing Arabs  came  to  us  and  offered  to  beat  the  woods, 
which  they  declared  to  be  full  of  wild  boar.  They 
told  us  that  the  habit  of  these  animals  was,  on  being 
driven,  to  take  to  the  river  and  swim  to  the  other 
side ;  so  we  placed  our  guns  along  the  banks  and 
told  the  boat  to  guard  the  river  from  pigs  swimming 
across,  and  try  to  stop  them  as  best  they  could.  The 
guns  available  for  the  sliore  work  consisted  of  myself 
and  two  friends  and  my  coxswain,  who  was  armed 
with  a  ship's  rifle.  The  Arabs  went  into  the  bush 
on  horseback ;  the  beat  had  hardly  begun  when  a 
lot  of  pigs  were  started,  all  making  for  the  river; 
three  of  these  were  knocked  over.  As  they  ap- 
proached several  others  dashed  into  the  river,  and  a 
most  amusing  hunt  was  made  after  them  by  the 
sailors.  Not  being  armed  with  rifles,  their  weapons 
of  offence  against  piggy  were  revolvers,  ropes,  and 
the  stretchers  of  the  boats. 

There  was,  as  may  be  supposed,  great  excitement 
among  the  men  when  the  pigs  took  to  the  water ; 
they  at  once  went  at  them,  firing  revolvers,  pulling 
after  them  as  they  swam,  using  language  not  allowed 
in  these  refined  days  in  the  navyj  and,  before  we  got 


26o  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

to  the  scene  of  action  they  had  lassoed  as  it  were 
two  fine  pigs,  and  tied  them  to  trees  on  the  riverside, 
and  when  we  arrived  were  firing  their  revolvers  at 
them  apparently  with  very  little  effect ;  however,  we 
soon  gave  the  animals  the  cou'p  do  grace.  Thus  we 
killed  five  pigs  in  our  first  drive.  We  took  the  liver, 
alias  fry,  out  of  the  pigs  to  eat  (it  is  most  excellent), 
cut  off  the  heads  of  the  tuskers,  and  hung  the  re- 
maining parts  on  a  tree  to  wait  our  return,  changing 
our  camp  further  up  the  river  the  same  night.  The 
next  morning  early  I  took  a  stroll  into  the  woods  by 
myself;  while  looking  about  me  I  saw  what  I  thought 
was  a  large  animal  sleeping  in  the  bushes.  I  began 
accordingly  to  stalk  him.  I  got  within  eighty  yards, 
put  my  gun  up  to  shoot,  but  as  I  could  not  pitch  on 
a  vital  part  to  aim  at,  only  seeing  a  mass  of  what 
was  evidently  an  animal  rolled  up,  I  went  nearer  and 
nearer ;  in  fact,  little  by  little,  I  got  within  ten  yards 
of  the  quarry ;  then  I  fired  a  ball  into  what  I  now 
saw  was  a  huge  pig.  No  move !  What  did  it  mean  ? 
I  could  not  have  killed  it  sleeping.  However,  I 
took  courage  and  went  close  and  put  my  hand  on 
the  beast ;  what  should  it  be  but  an  immense  boar 
lying  dead  in  his  lair.  He  must  have  died  months 
before  I  found  him,  as  the  skin  fell  to  pieces  on  being 
touched,   the  hair   into   powder ;    his   head   was  a 


SPORT  AND  SOCIETY  261 

splendid  one,  but  I  could  only  save  the  jawbones,  in 
whicli  were  a  grand  pair  of  tusks.  The  moral  of  this 
was  that  pigs,  like  everything  else,  die — sometimes 
quietly  in  their  beds,  be  that  retreat  only  a  lair  in 
the  forest ;  but  it  is  a  rare  occurrence  to  find  relics 
of  wild  animals  in  so  perfect  a  state.  I  fancy  their 
friends  and  relations  generally  eat  them.  The  bed 
or  lair  he  was  lying  in  was  a  most  snug  spot,  and 
he  would  have  been  quite  invisible  had  not  some  of 
the  brushwood  been  burnt  away,  Arab  fashion,  a 
short  time  before  I  found  him. 

I  must  warn  any  sportsman  intending  to  shoot 
in  the  Jihoon  river  that  the  wandering  Arabs  who 
are  to  be  found  there,  though  not  brigands  of  a  high 
order,  are  petty  thieves  to  the  last  degree.  "We  were 
always  obliged  to  keep  a  watch  in  our  tents,  leaving 
a  man  behind  in  charge  when  we  went  on  shooting 
excursions.  On  one  occasion  we  found  on  our  return 
that  our  watchman  had  captured  an  old  woman  whom 
he  caught  in  the  act  of  creeping  under  the  tent  and 
stealing  a  spoon.  I  had  myself  a  curious  adventure. 
An  Arab  told  me  that  he  knew  where  a  boar  was 
lying  in  the  long  grass,  and  that  he  would  take  me 
to  the  spot  if  I  would  accompany  him.  We  started 
off  together,  and  on  getting  well  into  the  wood  we 
went  on  our  hands  and  knees,  crawling  under  the 


262  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

trees  and  brushwood,  towards  the  spot  where  the 
boar  was  supposed  to  be.  We  had  to  keep  quite  close 
together.  I  carried  round  my  neck  a  very  pretty 
silver  whistle,  which  I  prized  exceedingly.  Suddenly, 
when  we  were  in  a  very  thick  part  of  the  bush,  the 
Arab  seized  hold  of  my  whistle  and  held  it  tight.  I 
immediately  grasped  the  hand  that  held  the  whistle  ; 
this  I  did  with  my  right  hand  holding  his  leffc.  He, 
with  his  right  hand,  tried  to  draw  a  knife.  I,  with 
my  left,  tried  to  get  my  gun  to  bear  on  him,  but 
there  was  so  little  room  to  spare  on  account  of  the 
thick  bush  that  both  our  operations  were  difficult  of 
performance.  As  soon  as  I  saw  him  trying  to  draw 
a  knife,  I  dropped  the  hand  with  the  whistle,  and 
seized  that  with  which  he  tried  to  draw  the  knife. 
Thus  the  play  went  on  for  two  or  three  minutes ; 
neither  of  us  spoke,  all  our  energies  were  directed  on 
our  different  games.  At  last,  by  turning  round  a 
little,  I  succeeded  in  giving  him  a  tremendous  kick, 
which  rolled  him  over  on  his  back ;  then  my  gun 
was  free,  and  I  held  it  to  his  head,  upon  which  he 
took  an  attitude  of  supplication  on  his  knees,  and 
prayed  for  quarter.  I  made  him  give  me  his  knife, 
go  on  all-fours  again,  and  creep  before  me  out  of  the 
wood.  This  was  a  most  audacious  attempt  at  petty 
robbery.   I  should  like  to  have  peppered  him  a  little, 


SPORT  AND  SOCIETY  263 

but  he  was  so  penitent,  I  decided  to  let  him  go.  I 
don't  think  he  meant  to  stab  me ;  I  think  he  merely 
wanted  to  cut  the  string  that  held  the  whistle. 
These  men  were  not  generally  murderers.  On  this 
trip  we  killed  twelve  pigs,  a  hundred  and  seven 
francolin,  one  lynx,  and  lots  of  cock  and  ducks. 
Coming  back  to  the  ship  I,  and  those  with  me  in  my 
boat,  very  nearly  came  to  utter  grief.  There  was  a 
good  deal  of  sea  on  the  bar  of  the  river.  The  cutter 
that  was  with  me  got  over  all  safe,  but  my  whale- 
boat  being  loaded  heavily  with  pigs,  &c.,  refused  to 
rise  with  the  waves,  and  not  doing  so,  the  conse- 
quences were  that  she  filled  and  capsized.  We  had 
all  to  jump  and  make  for  the  shore,  a  distance  of 
nearly  a  mile,  being  in  the  greatest  danger  while 
doing  so  of  getting  into  the  current  of  the  river. 
Any  one  who  had  done  this  must  have  been  washed 
away  and  drowned;  however,  thank  goodness,  all 
hands  were  saved.  The  whale-boat  was  afterwards 
picked  up,  having  been  washed  out  to  sea,  but  we 
lost  all  tents,  spare  guns,  &c. ;  the  pigs  remained  in 
the  boat,  as  they  were  stowed  under  the  thwarts,  and 
hadn't  room  to  float  out ;  so,  friends,  take  warning 
of  the  bar  of  the  Jihoon  river. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  I  received  a  report 
from  some  American  missionai'ies  to  the  effect  that 


264  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

one  of  their  comrades  had  been  robbed  and  murdered 
by  some  Arabs  who  inhabited  the  mountains  near 
Alexandretta,  people  whose  evil  deeds  had  for  some 
time  past  brought  them  into  notoriety.  Although  I 
was  under  orders  to  join  the  commander-in-chief,  I 
took  it  upon  myself  to  remain  and  assist  the  Americans 
in  huntmg  down  if  possible  the  murderers  of  their 
comrade. 

I  confess  I  was  made  more  zealous  in  the  cause 
from  hearing  that  there  were  '  lots  of  big  game  on 
the  hills.'  I  invited  two  or  three  of  these  American 
missionaries  to  join  my  mess,  and  off  we  went  to  look 
for  the  murderers.  As  this  is  a  chapter  on  shooting, 
I  will  as  briefly  as  possible  state  what  we  did  in  the 
official  way.  In  the  first  place  we  anchored  at  the 
head  of  the  Gulf  of  Ayas,  near  a  large  town  where 
resided  the  chief  authority  of  the  neighbourhood  in 
which  the  murder  had  been  committed.  I  landed 
with  the  missionaries,  several  of  my  officers,  and  some 
marines  to  act  as  an  escort,  and  paid  an  official  visit 
to  this  gentleman,  who  was  called  the  caimakam,  or 
chief  magistrate.  This  great  man  told  us  that  we 
should  certainly  with  his  assistance  find  the  people 
we  were  after.  He  suggested  that  we  should  accom- 
pany him  with  a  small  body  of  our  men,  to  which  he 
could  add  some  of  his  zeptiehs ;  that  thus  accompanied 


SPORT  AND  SOCIETY  265 

he  would  go  to  a  place  on  the  hill  where  we  should 
find  what  we  wanted.  He  said  that  a  little  '  back- 
sheesh '  was  necessary.  This  latter  we  found,  and  the 
next  day  we  started. 

We  ascended  amongst  the  most  magnificent 
wooded  hills  I  ever  saw.  '  Such  places  for  game  !  * 
thought  Ij  till  at  last  we  halted  at  a  clump  of  splendid 
oak  trees.  Under  one  of  these  a  grand  luncheon  was 
spread,  of  which  we  were  all  invited  to  partake. 
During  the  luncheon  a  man  rushed  up  to  our  host 
and  whispered  in  his  ear  something  which  seemed  to 
give  him  great  satisfaction,  for  he  at  once  smilingly 
said,  *  Captain,  I  have  found  the  men  you  are  after ;  * 
and  sure  enough  we  saw  approaching  two  ruffianly 
looking  fellows,  tied  together,  and  being  dragged 
along  by  men  on  horseback.  I  hope  they  were  the 
right  men.  I  will  presume  that  they  were,  but  they 
had  been  very  quick  in  catching  them.  After  my 
missionary  friend  who  spoke  their  language  had  in- 
terrogated the  prisoners,  he  requested  that  they 
might  be  kept  apart,  which  was  done,  and  they  were 
given  in  charge  of  separate  sentinels,  to  whose  horses 
they  were  tied.  We  then  returned  to  our  lunch,  our 
pipes,  and  our  cofiee.  Suddenly  we  heard  a  pistol 
shot,  a  rush,  and  a  scream  from  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  prisoners.     It  seems  that  one  of  them  had  drawn 


266  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

the  pistol  from  his  guardian's  belt,  shot  him  dead, 
jumped  on  to  the  horse,  and  galloped  off.  Every- 
body, marines  and  all,  tri6d  to  follow.  Such  a  row 
never  was  heard ;  but  the  man  knew  the  country, 
and  we  saw  him  no  more.  I  was  rather  glad,  for  he 
must  have  been  a  plucky  fellow. 

The  other  prisoner  was  doubly  secured  and  taken 
down  to  the  village.  He  was  afterwards  hanged,  so 
justice  was  satisfied  and  my  work  finished.  I  got  a 
letter  of  thanks  from  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  of  which  I  was  and  am  still  very  proud,  and 
meant  to  have  used  had  blockade-running  brought  me 
to  grief. 

This  business  being  satisfactorily  concluded,  I 
asked  my  friend  the  caimakam  if  there  was  any  big 
game  to  be  had.  His  answer  was,  '  Chok  au  Va,' 
which  meant  there  was  plenty :  and  he  undertook  to 
beat  the  neighbouring  woods  that  very  day  with  his 
men.  We  were  told  that  there  were  plenty  of  roe 
deer,  foxes,  jackals,  &c.,  so  we  loaded  our  guns  with 
S.S.G.  cartridges  (which  means,  I  may  tell  it  to  the 
uninitiated,  buck-shot).  "We  were  stationed  on  the 
outskirts  of  a  splendid  oak  wood  that  looked  like 
holding  any  mortal  thing  in  the  way  of  game.  Soon 
as  the  beaters  set  to  work  cocks  began  to  fly  about  in 
all  directions,  but  we  had  an  instinct  that  something 


SPORT  AND  SOCIETY  267 

more  important  would  turn  up,  so  took  no  notice  of 
feathered  game.  I  was  watching  close,  trying  to  look 
through  almost  impenetrable  brushwood,  when  I 
heard  a  rustling  sort  of  noise  near  me,  and  suddenly 
I  caught  sight  of  something  which  almost  made  my 
hair  stand  on  end — a  great  tiger  leopard,  creeping, 
stealthily  as  a  cat,  out  of  the  wood,  within  twenty 
yards  of  where  I  was  standing.  Fortunately  he  did 
not  look  my  way.  What  was  I  to  do  ?  My  gun,  as 
I  said,  was  loaded  with  buck-shot ;  a  miss  or  a  wound 
would  have  been  sure  to  bring  the  brute  on  top  of 
me.  However,  I  did  not  hesitate  more  than  a  couple 
of  seconds ;  I  pointed  my  gun  at  his  heart  just  behind 
the  shoulder,  and  pulled  the  trigger.  The  whole 
charge  went  straight  where  I  pointed  it,  and  the 
tiger  rolled  over  on  his  back.  I  put  a  ball  into  my 
gun  and  approached  him  very  gingerly.  When  I 
got  close  to  him  I  found  he  hadn't  a  kick  in  him. 
His  claws  were  crunched  up  as  if  grasping  something, 
his  grand  eyes  were  growing  dim,  and  though,  to 
make  all  sure,  I  fired  a  ball  into  his  head,  it  was  not 
necessary,  as  I  found  nine  buckshot  in  the  heart.  He 
was  a  splendid  beast,  eleven  feet  from  tip  of  tail 
to  end  of  nose.  It  was  said  that  he  had  killed  a 
shepherd  some  days  before,  so  he  deserved  his  fate. 
Before  returning  to  the  ship  that  evening,  we 


268  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

arranged  that  the  Ai'abs  should  turn  out  the  next  day 
to  drive  the  covers  on  the  beach  near  the  ship,  which 
were  supposed  to  hold  deer  and  pigs.  I  must  men- 
tion that  these  Arabs  are  very  different  to  the  wan- 
dering tribes  we  had  lately  been  amongst ;  they  are 
warlike,  unscrupulous,  and  dishonest.  We  made  an 
arrangement  with  them  that  all  game  killed  should 
belong  to  us,  the  beaters  being  paid  in  gunpowder, 
which  they  prized  very  much.  The  Arabs  thought 
we  should  only  find  pig,  and  as  Mussulmen  won't 
touch  it,  the  bargain  was  considered  satisfactory  to 
both  parties. 

It  so  happened  that  at  the  first  drive  a  very 
fine  deer,  of  a  species  I  had  never  seen  before,  broke 
cover.  I  had  the  luck  to  shoot  him,  and  as  the  ship 
was  lying  very  near,  we  hailed  her  for  a  boat  in 
which  to  send  off  our  game.  I  saw  a  good  deal  of 
whispering  among  the  Arabs,  who,  after  some  dis- 
cussion, informed  us  through  one  of  the  missionaries, 
who  kindly  acted  as  interpreter,  that  the  deer  must 
belong  to  them,  as  they  only  promised  to  give  the 
pigs,  and  they  openly  declared  we  should  not  take  it 
on  board.  I  wasn't  going  to  stand  this,  for  many 
reasons.  In  the  first  place  it  was  necessary  to  show 
these  people  that  we  were  their  masters,  secondly, 
by  our  agreement  the  deer  was  ours.     When  the 


SPORT  AND  SOCIETY  269 

boat  (a  cutter  with  ten  men  unarmed)  had  come  on 
shore,  I  gave  orders  for  the  men  to  return  and  bring 
their  arms  and  ten  marines,  also  armed.  The  Arabs, 
of  whom  there  were  about  one  hundred  armed  to  the 
teeth,  seemed  j&rm  in  their  decision;  so  was  I.  When 
I  pointed  to  my  armed  men,  who  were  by  this  time 
landing,  they  pointed  with  the  same  significant  ges- 
tures to  their  armed  men.  At  this  critical  moment, 
my  first  lieutenant,  seeing  that  something  was  wrong, 
fired  a  shell  right  over  our  heads  to  intimidate  the 
Arabs,  and  the  result  showed  that  it  had  that  effect. 
The  deer  was  lying  on  the  beach.  I  ordered  the 
marines  to  form  a  cordon  round  him,  and  the  sailors 
to  bring  up  the  boat  stretchers  on  which  to  lay  the 
animal.  When  all  was  ready  I  gave  the  command 
to  carry  it  away  and  put  it  in  the  boat.  The  Arabs 
cocked  their  muskets  and  made  a  move  forward  j  the 
marines  turned  and  faced  them.  I  thought  we  were 
in  for  a  fight ;  however,  the  bearers  carried  off  their 
charge  and  placed  it  in  the  boat,  when  to  my  astonish- 
ment the  Arab  chief  put  down  his  musket  and  came  and 
made  his  salaam  to  me,  asking  if  he  might  be  allowed 
to  visit  the  ship.  I,  of  course,  was  delighted.  We 
took  him  and  several  of  his  friends  on  board,  and  the 
visit  ended  in  their  all  getting  roaring  drunk,  being 
hoisted  over  the  ship's  side  and  landed  on  the  beach. 


270  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

So  passed  off  what  miglit  have  been  a  serious  affair. 
I  might  have  become  involved  in  a  long  explanation 
to  show  that  I  was  right  in  protecting  my  game  by 
armed  force,  but  under  all  the  circumstances  I  feel 
that  I  was  fully  justified  in  doing  so. 

I  should  like  before  finishing  these  sketches  to 
say  something  about  the  society  of  Constantinople. 
As  one  cannot  always  be  out  shooting,  it  is  very 
important  to  our  happiness  to  have  something  to  fall 
back  upon  in  the  social  way.  I  was  told  once  by  a 
very  great  friend  of  mine,  who  saw  that  I  was  inclined 
to  fret,  '  to  take  everything  as  a  joke.'  If  one's  liver 
is  in  good  order  it  is  very  easy  to  do  so,  but  some- 
times the  contrary  is  the  case,  and  it  makes  one  at 
times  quite  savage  to  see  the  airs  that  are  temporarily 
put  on  by  those  that  form  the  so-called  upper  or 
diplomatic  society  of  Pera.  Here  are  really  ami- 
able people  so  utterly  spoilt  by  the  exalted  idea 
of  their  own  dignity  that  they  become  absolute 
bores,  especially  to  any  one  accustomed  to  good 
society.  If  you  go  to  a  soiree  you  see  grouped 
together,  for  fear  of  contamination  with  the  out- 
siders (without  which  a  successful  party  cannot  be 
formed),  the  members  of  the  so-called  '  sacred  circle,' 
talking  to  each  other  in  dignified  (or  undignified,  as 
the  case  may  be  judged)  whispers.     While  all  are 


SPORT  AND  SOCIETY  271 

cheerful  and  gay,  you  scarcely  see  a  smile  on  the 
countenances  of  these  tremendous  swells. 

If  you  go  in  the  street  you  will  meet  a  creature 
dressed  in  most  gorgeous  apparel,  armed  to  the  teeth 
with  firearms  that  probably  won't  go  off,  knives 
and  daggers  covered  with  precious  stones,  walking 
solemnly  along.  If  you  look  carefully  among  the 
crowd  in  his  wake  you  will  discover  some  one,  or 
ones,  walking  with  an  indignant  swagger  at  being 
hustled  by  the  vulgar  crowd.  The  man  in  gold, 
armed  to  the  teeth,  is  what  is  called  a  cavass,  and 
these  swells  behind  are  the  representatives,  male  or 
female,  of  some  foreign  potentate,  taking  a  walk.  It 
would  be  quite  infra  dig.  to  go  without  one  of  these 
useless  appendages.  Again,  if  an  individual  not 
belonging  to  the  '  sacred  circle '  meets  a  foreign 
representative  who  condescends  to  speak  to  him, 
and  while  he  is  doing  so  another  member  of  an 
embassy  '  heaves  in  sight,'  the  first  swell  will 
immediately  sheer  off,  looking  ashamed  at  having  so 
far  forgotten  himself  as  to  be  seen  speaking  to  any 
one  outside  *  his  circle.'  You  may  occasionally  be 
invited  to  the  houses  of  these  exalted  personages, 
but  there  is  always  an  implied  condescension  in  their 
attitude  which  tends  to  negative  the  efiect  of  their 
good  intentions.   And  all  this  is  a  great  pity,  because 


272  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

these  people  must  be  tired  of  each  other,  and  would 
find  quite  as  much  intelligence  outside  as  inside  their 
circle.  Besides,  there  are  charming  people  among 
them  who  would  ornament  any  society,  but  their  ill- 
acted  airs  of '  brief  authority '  quite  spoil  them,  and 
make  them,  as  I  said,  bores  to  themselves  and  to 
those  who  would  be  theii*  friends. 

I  will,  in  proof  of  what  I  say,  relate  a  short  anec- 
dote as  to  what  occurred  in  the  house  of  a  friend  of 
mine. 

This  friend  gave  a  very  large  fancy  dress  ball,  at 
which  two  or  three  hundred  people  were  present. 
The  ball  was  in  every  way  a  success,  but  as  the  giver 
did  not  belong  to  the  '  sacred  circle,'  the  members  of 
that  body  only  condescended  to  go  for  a  short  time. 
I  have  no  doubt  (for  there  are  lots  of  jolly  people 
among  them)  that  they  would  have  liked  to  have 
stopped  much  longer,  but  it  was  not  thought  '  digni- 
fied.' So,  after  a  short  time,  most  of  the  '  sacred 
circle'  sneaked  away.  One  of  them  who  had  two 
charming  daughters,  devoted  to  dancing,  not  having 
noticed  the  departure  of  the  great  people  till  that 
moment,  came  hurriedly  to  my  friend  and  said,  *  Good- 
night, I  must  go,  every  one  is  gone.'  '  Every  one  ? ' 
said  my  friend,  '  why,  look  at  the  rooms,  there  are  at 
least  two  hundred  people  dancing  and  amusing  them- 


SPORT  AND  SOCIETY  273 

selves.'  *Yes,  I  see,'  said  the  diplomat  (he  waa 
rather  a  small  one),  '  but  I  mean  the  ambassadors 
and  their  parties  are  gone,  so  I  Trtust  go;  but  for 
once,  to  please  you,  I'll  leave  my  daughters.*  I 
believe  my  friend  answered,  'You  may  go  to  the  d — 1.' 
This  is  a  fact,  and  shows  the  unfortunate  system  that 
ruins  to  a  great  extent  the  sociability  of  society  in 
Pera. 

Now  it  is  true  that  all  these  people  are  called 
barons,  counts,  viscounts,  &c.,  but  my  friend  belongs 
to  a  right  good  family,  and  would  have  been  more 
than  the  equal  of  many  of  them  had  they  met  in 
Paris,  London,  St.  Petersburg,  Berlin,  or  Vienna. 
The  title  of  baron,  &c.,  seems  to  me  to  be  always 
given  to  a  diplomat  ex-officio.  However,  barons  or 
no  barons,  the  rule  of  exclusiveness  laid  down  by 
the  'sacred circle'  at  Constantinople  is  to  be  deplored, 
as  it  injures  society  sadly.  Few  large  parties  are 
given  now  except  those  got  up  by  the  great  people. 
When  an  outsider  sends  out  invitations  for  a  ball, 
or  any  other  kind  of  reunion^  the  negotiations  that  go 
on  between  the  swells  as  to  whether  they  should  patro- 
nise it  or  not  are  comical  in  the  extreme.  Should 
ever  so  slight  an  omission  in  the  form  of  these  invi- 
tations, or  a  mere  accident  in  the  delivery  thereof, 
appear  to  them  to  touch   their   dignity,  they  will 


274  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

probably  all  absent  themselves  in  a  body,  even  were  it 
question  of  the  marriage  or  the  funeral  of  one  of  their 
oldest  and  most  respectable  acquaintances.  Not  being 
one  of  them,  and  not  caring  very  much  for  artificial 
society,  I  look  on  with  great  amusement.  Some  one 
gave  great  offence  on  a  late  occasion,  while  describing 
society  in  Pera,  by  suggesting  that  if  there  were  a 
European  court  here  things  would  be  very  different ; 
so  they  might.  People  would  then  find  their  level, 
as  they  do  in  other  capitals. 

I  feel  very  sorry  for  the  members  of  the  *  sacred 
circle.'  Not  only  do  they  lose  much  now,  but  it  will 
be  awkward  for  them  when  they  go  back  from  whence 
they  came.  A  short  time  ago  I  asked  a  very  high 
and  mighty  personage  if  she  did  not  fear  the  change 
that  must  come  when  she  left  Constantinople.  She 
answered  with  great  frankness :  *  I  feel  that  most 
of  what  you  say  is  correct,  but  before  I  came  here 
I  was  very  small  fry ;  now  I  know  I  am  a  swell, 
and  mean  to  enjoy  myself.'  She  was  like  those 
reckless  ones  who  cried :  *  Let  us  eat  and  drink,  for 
to-morrow  we  die.'  I  have  seen  a  stand  made  by 
one  or  two  of  these  mighty  ones,  an  attempt  to  break 
down  the  system  of  pompous  exclusiveness,  but  that 
attempt  unfortunately  failed. 

I  must  say  that  the  foreign  colonies  in  Pera  are 


SPORT  AND  SOCIETY  27s 

much  to  blame,  for  they  worship  with  all  their  minds 
and  all  their  strength  their  different  chiefs  and 
chieftainesses,  and  human  nature  being  weak,  &c. 
&c. 

Apart  from  the  '  sacred  circle '  there  is  a  nice  little 
society  where  people  go  in  for  enjoying  themselves, 
and  succeed  in  doing  so  very  comfortably  ;  but  even 
there,  with  some  few  exceptions,  there  is  that  seci-et 
longing  for  ope  or  two  of  the  swells — even  a  junior 
secretary  of  an  embassy  is  looked  upon  as  a  desidera- 
tum. 

The  Greeks  keep  very  much  to  themselves ;  so  do 
the  Armenians.  The  Turks  are  exceedingly  fond  of 
going  into  society,  but  their  domestic  arrangements 
tend  to  prevent  their  entertaining. 

His  Majesty  the  Sultan  frequently  invites  Euro- 
pean ladies  to  his  dinner  parties,  and  those  who  have 
had  that  honour  must  have  thoroughly  enjoyed  the 
delicious  music  and  the  pleasant  entertainments  after 
dinner  at  the  Palace  of  Yildiz.  I  don't  see  why  His 
Imperial  Majesty's  example  is  not  followed  by  some 
of  his  subjects ;  perhaps  we  may  yet  come  to  that 
by-and-by. 

In  what  I  have  said  about  society  in  Pera  I  have 
not  meant  to  be  personal  or  offensive  in  any  way. 
My  object  has   been  to  show  up  a  rotten   system 


276  SKETCHES  FROM  MY  LIFE 

whereby  everybody  suffers.  I  bave  some  remote 
hope  that  things  may  change  for  the  better,  espe- 
cially as  one  of  the  chief  promoters  of  the  system  has 
now  left  Constantinople. 

If  I  bring  these  pages  to  a  somewhat  abrupt 
conclusion,  it  is  because  I  have  had  the  bad  luck  to 
get  a  chill  out  shooting,  and  have  been  somewhat 
seriously  ill.  However,  I  have  hope  that  there  is 
'  life  in  the  old  dog  yet,'  and  that  I  may  before  long 
have  some  other  adventures  of  a  similar  description 
to  add  to  these  '  unvarnished  sketches '  of  my  life. 


EXTRACT  FROM  THE  'DAILY  TELEGRAPH; 
June  21,  1886. 

*  There  will  be  some  slight  and  melancholy  satisfac- 
tion to  his  sorrowing  family,  and  his  many  friends,  in 
the  knowledge  of  the  fact  that  Hobart  Pasha,  a  short 
time  before  his  death,  had  prepared  for  publication  a 
memoir  of  his  stirring  life  and  adventures.  The  only 
fault,  if  fault  there  be,  in  this  record,  may  lie  in  the 
circumstance  that  its  readers  may  think  it  too  brief.  At 
all  events,  we  shall  be  told  what  Hobart  had  been  about 
ever  since  the  year  1836.  It  is  certain  that  he  never 
was  idle.  Even  before  he  had  passed  his  examination  for 
lieutenant,  he  had  distinguished  himself  while  serving  in 
the  squadron  told  off  to  suppress  the  slave  trade  in 
Brazilian  waters  :  and  in  those  days  our  naval  operations 
against  the  Portuguese  traders  in  "  blackbirds  "  involved 
considerable  peril  to  life  and  limb. 

'  Eighteen  years,  however,  elapsed  before  Captain 
Augustus  Hobart  was  able  to  shot  his  guns  in  view  of 
the  broadside  of  a  European  foe.  He  had  previously 
enjoyed  two  years'  half-holiday  at  home  ;  that  is  to  say, 
he  had  been  appointed,  as  a  reward  for  his  services  in 
South  America,  to  a  lieutenancy  onboard  the  Royal  yacht, 
the  Victoria  and  Albert,  then  commanded  by  the  late 
Adolphus  Fitz- Clarence.    But  in  the  historically  momen- 


278  EXTRACT  FROM 

tous  year  1854  there  was  serious  business  to  be  done  by 
Lieutenant — now  Commander — Hobart.  A  diplomatic 
squabble  between  France  and  Russia  about  the  Holy 
Places  in  Palestine  developed  into  an  angry  quarrel 
between  the  Emperor  Nicholas,  France,  and  England. 
We  went  to  war  with  Russia,  A  magnificent  squadron 
of  British  first-rates  was  despatched  to  the  Black  Sea  with 
the  avowed  object  of  destroying  the  Russian  Fleet, 
which  had  characteristically  annihilated  the  Turkish 
Fleet  in  the  harbour  of  Sinope.  "We  did  not  do  much  in 
the  Black  Sea  beyond  running  the  Tiger  on  shore,  where 
her  crew  were  captured  by  the  Muscovites.  We  bom- 
barded Odessa  perfunctorily,  and  precisely  in  that  portion 
of  the  city  Avhere  our  shot  and  shell  could  do  the  least 
harm.  We  did  not  destroy  the  Russian  Fleet,  for  the 
sufficing  reason  that  the  Russian  Commander-in-Chief 
sank  all  his  three-deckers  full  fathom  five  in  the  harbour 
of  Sebastopol. 

'In  the  Baltic,  however,  there  was  a  little  more 
fighting  to  show  for  the  many  millions  sterling  wrung 
from  the  British  taxpayer.  To  the  coasts  of  Finland 
was  sent  a  splendid  Armada,  commanded  by  one  of  the 
bravest  seamen  that  ever  adorned  the  glorious  muster- 
roll  of  the  Royal  Navy  of  England,  Admiral  Sir  Charles 
Napier.  Under  his  orders  was  Captain  Augustus 
Hobart,  in  command  of  Her  Majesty's  ship  Driver. 
"  Lads,  sharpen  your  cutlasses  !  "  thus  began  the  memor- 
able manifesto  addressed  by  the  hero  of  St.  Jean  d Acre 
to  the  gallant  tars.  The  Baltic  fleet  was  to  do  wonders. 
The  lads,  with  their  cutlasses  very  well  sharpened,  went 
aboard  the  Russian  war-ships  before  Cronstadt,  stormed 
the  seven  forts  which  guard  the  entrance  to  that  harbour, 
and  sailed  up  the  Neva  even  to  St.  Petersburg  itself.     It 


THE  'DAILY  TELEGRAPH'  279 

is  true  that  ere  the  war  was  over  a  spy  informed  Lord 
Augustus  Loftus,  then  Her  Majesty's  Ambassador  at 
Berlin,  that  a  certain  channel  or  waterway  existed 
unguarded  by  any  fort  at  all,  by  which  a  British  flotilla 
with  muffled  oars  could  have  got  quietly  into  the  Neva 
without  taking  the  trouble  to  destroy  the  Russian  fleet 
or  to  blow  the  seven  forts  of  Cronstadt  into  the  air.  The 
revelations  of  the  spy  went  for  nothing  ;  and,  after  the 
cutlasses  of  the  lads  in  blue-jackets  had  been  sharpened 
to  a  razor-like  degree  of  keenness,  those  blades,  for  some 
occult  reason,  were  not  allowed  to  cut  deep  enough  ;  the 
only  cutting — and  running  into  the  bargain — being  done 
by  the  Russian  fleet,  which,  safely  ensconced  in  the 
harbour  of  Cronstadt,  defied  us  from  behind  the  walls 
of  fortresses  which  we  did  not  care  to  bombard.  Still, 
the  Baltic  fleet  was  not  wholly  idle.  There  was  some 
fighting  and  some  advantage  gained  over  the  Russians 
at  Helsingfors,  at  Arbo,  and  notably  at  Bomarsund.  In 
all  these  engagements  Commander  Hobart  distinguished 
himself — so  brilliantly,  indeed,  as  to  be  named  with  high 
approval  in  ofiicial  despatches. 

*  Soldiers  in  peace.  Bacon  has  remarked,  are  like 
chimneys  in  summer.  Hobart  seemed  resolved  that  the 
aphorism  quoted  by  Fi'ancis  of  Verulam  should  not  be 
verified  in  the  case  of  sailors.  The  fire  of  the  Earl  of 
Buckinghamshire's  son  was  always  alight,  and  he  became, 
duringthe  greatCivil  Warin  America  the  boldest  of  block- 
ade-runners. When  the  Confederacy  collapsed  Hobart, 
by  this  time  a  Post-Captain,  received  overtures  of  employ- 
ment from  the  Turkish  Government,  and  in  1868  he  was 
appointed,  as  Admiral  Slade  had  been  before  him,  to  a 
high  command  in  the  Ottoman  Navy.  It  was  a  curious 
illustration  of  the  various  turns  of  fate  here  below  to  find 


28o  EXTRACT  FROM 

in  1869  the  Sultan,  the  Commander  of  the  Faithful, 
sending  the  Giaour  Hobart  Pasha,  the  erst  Secesh 
blockade-runner,  to  the  island  of  Crete  to  put  down 
blockade-running  on  the  part  of  the  intensely  patriotic 
but  occasionally  troublesome  Greeks.  Hobart  was 
entrusted  with  unlimited  powers,  and  he  accomplished 
his  mission  with  so  much  vigour  and  with  so  much  skill 
as  to  insure  the  good  graces  of  the  Porte,  and  he  soon 
rose  to  be  Inspector-General  of  the  Imperial  Ottoman 
Navy.  Although  his  name  was  necessarily  erased  from 
the  list  of  the  Royal  Navy  when  he  definitely  threw  in 
his  lot  with  the  Sultan  on  the  breaking  out  of  the  Turko- 
Russian  war,  all  English  admirers  of  pluck  and  daring 
were  glad  to  learn  at  a  comparatively  recent  period  that 
the  Honourable  Augustus  Charles  Hobart  Hampden  had 
been  reinstated  by  Royal  command  in  his  rank  in  the 
British  Navy. 

'  It  was  the  good  fortune  of  the  distinguished  mari- 
time commander  just  deceased,  to  win  golden  opinions 
from  all  sorts  of  peoples,  and  his  name  and  prowess  will 
be  as  cordially  remembered  in  his  native  land,  and  in  the 
Southero  States  of  America,  as  on  the  shores  of  the 
Bosphorus  and  the  Golden  Horn. 

'A  thorough  Englishman  at  heart,  he  was  none 
the  less  a  fervent  philo-Turk  in  politics  and  convictions, 
and  latterly  devoted  his  talents  and  his  life  to  the 
defence  of  the  integrity  of  the  Ottoman  Empire.  As 
ready  with  his  pen  as  with  his  sword,  he  was  a  clear, 
trenchant,  vigorous  writer,  and  could  talk  on  paper  aa 
fluently  and  as  cogently  about  ironclads  and  torpedoes 
as  about  the  wrongs  of  the  natives  of  Lazistan,  the 
necessity  of  upholding  the  integrity  of  the  Turkish 
Empire,  and  of  circumventing  the  dark   and   crooked 


THE  'DAILY  TELEGRAPH'  281 

wiles  of  Russian  diplomacy.  Altogether  Augustus 
Charles  Hobart  was  a  remarkable  man — bluff,  bold, 
dashing,  and  somewhat  dogged.  There  was  in  his  com- 
position something  of  the  medijBval  "  condottiere,"  and  a 
good  deal  more  of  that  Dugald  Dalgetty  whom  Scott 
dreAV.  Gustavus  Adolphus  would  have  made  much  of 
Hobart  ;  the  great  Czarina,  Catherine  II.,  would  have 
appointed  him  Commander-in-Chief  of  her  fleet,  and 
covered  him  with  honours,  even  as  she  did  her  Scotch 
Admiral  Gleig,  and  that  other  yet  more  famous  sea-dog, 
king  of  corsairs,  Paul  Jones.  It  would  be  unjust  to 
sneer  at  Hobart  as  a  mercenary.  His  was  no  more  a 
hired  sword  than  were  the  blades  of  Schomberg  and 
Berwick,  of  Maurice  de  Saxe  and  Eugene  of  Savoy. 
When  there  was  fighting  to  be  done  Hobart  liked  to  be 
in  it — that  is  all.  Of  the  fearless,  dashing,  adventurous 
Englishman,  ready  to  go  anywhere  and  do  anything, 
Hobart  was  a  brilliantly  representative  type.  Originally 
endowed  with  a  most  vigorous  physique,  his  constitution 
became  sapped  at  last  by  long  years  of  hardship  and 
fatigue  incident  to  the  vicissitudes  of  a  daring,  adventu- 
rous career.  He  left  Constantinople  on  leave  of  absence 
some  months  ago  to  recruit  his  shattered  health,  and  spent 
several  weeks  at  the  Riviera.  But  it  would  seem  that 
he  experienced  little  relief  from  the  delicious  climate  of 
the  South  of  France,  and  it  was  on  his  homeward 
journey  to  Constantinople  that  this  brave  and  upright 
British  worthy  breathed  his  last.  The  immediate  cause 
of  his  death  was,  it  is  stated,  an  affection  of  the  heart,  a 
term  covering  a  vast  extent  of  unexplored  ground.  It 
would  be  nearer  the  truth  to  say  that  the  frame  of 
Augustus  Charles  Hobart  was  literally  worn  out  by 
travel  and  exposure  and  hard  work  of  every  kind  which 

13 


282    EXTRACT  FROM  'DAILY  TELEGRAPH' 

had  been  liis  lot,  witli  but  brief  intervals  of  repose,  ever 
since  the  day,  in  the  year  1836,  when  as  a  boy  of 
thirteen  he  joined  the  Navy  as  a  midshipman.' 

It  will  be  gratifying  to  Englishmen  to  know  that 
their  distinguished  countryman  received  at  his  burial  all 
the  honours  due  to  his  high  station  and  noble  qualities. 
Such  a  concourse  of  people  of  all  ranks  and  nations  had 
never  been  seen  at  any  public  ceremony  on  the  Bosphorus 
as  that  which,  on  July  24,  accompanied  the  remains  of 
Hobart  Pasha  to  their  last  resting  place  in  the  English 
cemetery  at  Scutari,  not  far  from  the  spot  where  a  tall 
granite  obelisk  records  the  brave  deeds  and  glorious 
death  of  those  heroes  who  perished  in  the  Crimean 
War. 


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FARADAY   AS   A   DISCOVERER.     A  Memoir.     By  Professor 

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from  my  task  with  such  results  as  I  could  gather,  and  also  with  the  wish  that 
these  rftpults  were  more  worthy  than  they  are  of  the  greatness  of  my  theme." — 
The  Author. 

SHORT  LIFE  OF  GLADSTONE.  By  C.  H.  ,Jones.  ISmo. 
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Extracts  from  his  speeches  and  estimates  of  his  literary  work  are  given,  and  an 
excellent  feature  of  the  book  is  its  short  but  eignificant  citations  from  the  press, 
which  help  the  reader  to  see  the  erreat  statesman  through  the  eyes  of  his  con- 
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A  JOURNAL  OF  THE  REIGNS  OF  KING  GEORGE  IV 
AND  KING  WILLIAM  IV.  By  the  late  Charles  C.  F. 
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volumes  will  be  read  with  as  much  interest  for  their  sketches  of  social  life  as  for 
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RETROSPECT  OF  A  LONG  LIFE,  FROM  1815  TO  1883. 
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LIFE  OF  CAPTAIN  MARRYAT,  R.  N.  Ey  Florence 
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ing. The  author  is  in  evident  sympathy  with  all  three  of  his  sabjects."— 6%i<7ag'0 
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it  would  be  hard  to  find."— iVczi;  York  World. 

ENGLISH  MEN  OF  SCIENCE:  THEIR  NATURE  AND 
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McCLELLAN'S   LAST   SERVICE   TO  THE   REPUBLIC, 

TOGETHER  WITH  A  TRIBUTE  TO  HIS  MEMORY.  By  George 
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A  mopt  valuable  and  important  contribution  to  the  history  of  American  parties 
and  politica.  and  to  the  best  class  of  our  literature.  It  is  a  model  biography  of  a 
most  gifted  man,  wherein  the  intermingling  of  the  statesman  and  lawyer  with 
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REPRESENTATIVE  NAMES  IN  ENGLISH  LITERA- 
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Grant  to  Mexico.  The  appendices  contain  numerous  letters  from  army  com- 
manders bearing  upon  events  of  the  war. 

THE    LIFE   OF  DAVID   GLASGOW   FARRAGUT,  FIRST 

ADMIRAL   OF   THE    UNITED    STATES    NAVY,  EMBODYING 

HIS  JOURNAL  AND  LETTERS.     By  his  Son,  Loyall  Farraout. 

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work  as  an  authentic  biography  of  the  greatest  of  American  naval  commanders, 
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cult and  dangerous  enterprises  and  heroic  achievements." — New  York  Evening 
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FARTHEST  NORTH;  Or,  THE  LIFE  AND  EXPLORATIONS 
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BIOGRAPHY. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  WILLIAM   H.  SEWARD  (1801- 

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STONEWALL  JACKSON:  A  MILITARY  BIOGRAPHY.  By 
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THE  LIFE  OF  GENERAL  ALBERT  SIDNEY  JOHN- 
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DESTRUCTION  AND  RECONSTRUCTION:  PERSONAL 
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PERSONAL  REMINISCENCES,  ANECDOTES,  AND  LETTERS 
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FOUR  YEARS  WITH  GENERAL  LEE:  BEING  A  SUM- 
MARY OF  THE  MORE  IMPORTANT  EVENTS  TOUCHING 
THE  CAREER  OF  GENERAL  ROBERT  E.  LEE,  IN  THE  WAR 
BETWEEN  THE  STATES;  TOGETHER  WITH  AN  AUTHOR- 
ITATIVE STATEMENT  OF  THE  STRENGTH  OF  THE  ARMY 
WHICH  HE  COMM^iNDED  IN  THE  FIELD.  By  Walter  H. 
Taylor,  of  his  Staff,  and  late  Adjutant-General  of  the  Army  of 
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LIFE  OF  GENERAL  ROBERT  E.  LEE.  By  John  Estem 
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A     BIOGRAPHY    OF    WILLIAM     CULLEN     BRYANT. 

WITU  EXTRACTS  FROM  HIS  PRIVATE  CORRESPONDENCE. 

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Containing  a  full  account,  from  authentic  sources,  o(  the  poet's  nncestry ;  of 
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life  us  a  country  lawyer ;  of  his  lont;  editorial  career  in  New  York ;  of  his  inter- 
course with  contemporaries  ;  of  his  travels  abroad  and  at  home ;  of  the  origin  of 
many  of  his  poems;  of  his  political  opinions;  of  his  speeches  and  addresses; 
and  of  the  honors  he  received. 

RALPH  WALDO  EMERSON:  POET  AND  PHILOSOPHER. 
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THE  STORY  OF  MY  LIFE.  By  the  late  J.  Marion  Sims,  M.  D. 
Edited  by  his  Son,  H.  Marion  Simb,  M.  D.     12mo.     Cloth,  $1.50. 

Under  the  simple  title  of  "The  Story  of  my  Life"  Dr.  Sims  has  in  the  most 
fltlin;?  terms  narrated  the  origin  and  growth  of  those  achievements  in  surgery 
which  |by  the  ereneral  judgment  of  enlightened  men  have  stamped  him  as  the 
benefactor  cf  his  race.  The  account  of  Dr.  Sims's  early  struggle  is  of  the  deep- 
ei:'t  interest. 

LIFE   AND   LETTERS   OF   FITZ-GREENE   HALLECK. 

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LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDETfCE  OF  THEODORE 
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THE  LIFE,  CORRESPONDENCE,  AND  WRITINGS  OF 
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LETTERS  OF  LIFE.  By  Mrs.  L.  H.  Sigournet.  12mo.  Cloth, 
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LITERATURE  IN  LETTERS;  OR,  MAXXERS,  ART,  CRITI- 
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IX  THE  CORRESPOXDENCE  OF  EMLVEXT  PERSONS.  Edited 
by  James  P.  Holcomde,  LL.  D.  12mo.  Cloth,  $2.00;  half  calf, 
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have  they  been  rendered  accessible  to  the  bulk  of  the  reading  public.  Our  lan- 
puage  abounds  in  letters  which  contain  the  most  vivid  pictures  of  manners,  and 
the  most  faithful  and  striking  delineations  of  character,  which  are  full  of  wit, 
wisdom,  fancy,  useful  knowledge,  noble  aud  pious  sentiment," — Extract  from 
Preface. 

JOHN  KEESE,  WIT  AND  LITTERATEUR.  A  BIO- 
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John  Keese  was  a  popular  book-auctioneer  of  New  York  thirty  years  ago, 
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ago  that  will  be  valued  by  those  who  like  glances  at  past  local  conditions. 

LIFE   OF  JAMES  W.  GRIMES.     By  W.  Salter.     Svo,     Cloth, 


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LIFE   OF   EDWARD   LIVINGSTON. 

By  C,  H.  Hunt, 

With 

an  Introduction  by  Geoege  Bancroft, 

Portrait,      8vo, 

Cloth, 

$4,00. 

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LIFE  OF  EM3IA  WILLARD.  By  John  Lord,  LL.  D.  With 
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RECOLLECTIONS  AND  OPINIONS  OF  AN  OLD  PI- 
ONEER. By  P.  H.  Burnett,  First  Governor  of  the  State  of 
California.     12mo.     Cloth,  $1.75. 

Mr.  Burnett's  life  has  been  full  of  varied  exporience,  and  the  record  takes  the 
reader  back  prior  to  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California,  and  leads  him  through 
many  advcniiires  and  incidents  to  the  time  of  the  beginning  of  the  late  war. 

"  I  have  been  a  pioneer  most  of  my  life  ;  whenever,  since  my  arrival  in  Cali- 
fornia, I  have  seen  a  party  of  immi?rant9,  with  their  oxteams  and  white-t^heeted 
wa<jon8, 1  have  been  excited,  have  felt  younger,  and  was  for  the  moment  anxious 
to  make  another  trip." — The  Author. 

LIFE  OF  JOHN  RANDOLPH,  OF  ROANOKE.   By 

HaoH  H.  Garland.     Portraits.     Two  volumes  In  one.    8*o.    CioiL, 
$2.00. 

ELIHU  BURRITT  :  A  MEMORIAL  VOLUME,  CONTAINING  A 
SKETCH  OF  HIS  LIFE  AND  LABORS.  With  Selections  from 
his  Writings  and  Lectures,  and  Extracts  from  his  Private  Journals 
in  Europe  and  America.  Edited  by  Charles  Xorthend,  A.  M. 
12mo.     Cloth,  $1  75. 

THE  LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  SERVICES  OF  DR.  LEWIS 
F.  LINN.  FOR  TEN  YEARS  A  SENATOR  OF  THE  UNITED 
STATES  .FROM  THE  STATE  OF  MISSOURI.  By  E.  A.  Linn  and 
N.  Sargent.     With  Portrait.     8vo.     Cloth,  $2.00. 

OUTLINE  OF  THE  PUBLIC  LIFE  AND  SERVICES 
OF  TH03IAS  F.  BAYARD,  SENATOR  OF  THE  UNITED 
STATES  FROM  THE  STATE  OF  DELAWARE,  1869-1880 
With  E.xtracts  from  his  Speeches  and  the  Debates  of  Congress.  By 
Edward  Spencer.     12mo.     Paper,  50  cents ;  cloth,  $1  00. 


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ESSAYS   AND   SPEECHES   OF  JEREMIAH  S.  BLACK. 

WITH  A  BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH.     By  Chauncey  F.  Black. 
With  a  Portrait  on  Steel.     8vo.     Cloth,  $3.75. 

LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  EMORY  UPTON,  COLONEL 
OF  THE  FOURTH  REGIMENT  OF  ARTILLERY,  AND  BREVET 
MAJOR-GENERAL  U.  S.  ARMY.  By  Peter  S.  Michie,  Professor 
U.  S.  Military  Academy.  With  an  Introduction  by  James  Harrison 
Wilson,  late  U.  S.  A,     With  Portraits,     8vo.     Cloth,  $2.00. 

"  The  subject  of  the  following  memoir  was  widely  known  by  reputation  in  the 
military  profession,  and  the  story  of  his  life  would,  at  least  to  military  men,  have 
been  a  matter  of  passing  interest.  The  tragic  circumstances  of  his  death  seemed 
to  demand  some  explanation  in  harmony  with  his  established  reputation  and 
character.  At  the  earnest  solicitation  of  his  nearest  relatives,  the  author,  al- 
though conscious  of  his  own  deficiencies,  undertook  the  task  of  compiling  a 
brief  record  of  General  Upton's  life  for  his  family  and  immediate  personal 
friends."— i^'rom  Pr^ace. 

LIFE  AND  LETTERS  OF  THOMAS  GOLD  APPLE- 
TON.  Prepared  by  Susan  Hale.  With  a  Portrait.  12mo. 
Cloth,  gilt  top,  $1.75. 

Mr.  T.  G.  Appleton,  it  is  needless  to  say,  was  well  known  in  social  and  literary 
circles  in  Europe  and  America,  and  dit^tinguished  as  one  of  the  best  converea- 
tiouHlists  of  tlie  day.  The  present  work  consists  of  a  biographical  sketch,  selec- 
tions from  his  letters,  and  some  account  of  his  difl'erent  journeys. 

LOUIS  PASTEUR:  HIS  LIFE  AND  LABORS.  By  his  Son-in- 
Law.  Translated  from  the  French  by  Lady  Claud  Hamilton. 
With  an  Introduction  by  Professor  Tyndall.     12mo.     Cloth,  $1.25. 

"Since  the  first  studies  of  M.  Pasteur  on  molecular  dissymmetry,  down  to 
his  most  recent  investigations  on  hydrophobia,  on  virulent  diseases,  and  on  the 
artificial  cultures  of  living  contagia,  the  author  of  these  pages  has  been  able,  if 
not  to  witness  all,  at  least  to  follow  in  its  principal  developments,  this  uninter- 
rupted series  of  scientific  conquests."— T^V-ow  t/ie  Preface. 

"  A  record  in  which  the  verities  of  science  are  endowed  with  the  interest  of 
romance."— Professor  Ttndall. 

MEMOIRS  OF  NAPOLEON:  HIS  COURT  AND  FAMILY.  By 
the  Duchess  d'Abrantes  (Madame  Junot).  2  vols.  12mo.  Cloth, 
$3.00. 

This  book  supplies  many  valunble  and  Interesting  details  respecting  the 
Court  and  Family  of  Napoleon,  which  are  found  in  no  other  work.  The  author's 
opportunities  for  observation  were  excellent  and  long  continued,  and  she  has 
availed  herself  of  them  so  effectually  as  to  present  ns  with  a  very  lively,  onter- 
tnining.  and  readable  book,  as  well  as  to  supply  important  materials  for  future 
historians  and  biographers.  . 


New  York:  D.  APPLETON  &  CO.,  1,  3,  &  6  Bond  Stree 


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